A Chance for Sunshine
by wordsworthy
Summary: The dark clouds had finally lifted with the battle won. Having lost much and gained nothing, even as the Dawn and Twilight would never since share the sky, the Sun would eventually rise again, drying their tears with a chance for sunshine. A post-Lyon fic
1. The Departed

A Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

Chapter 1: The Departed

The vague chirping of unseen birds and the blurred slivers of fresh light struggled to make its way through the thick curtains of an otherwise unlit room. It was one of the several bedchambers, wrought of marble and alabaster and furnished with rich fittings of oak and cedar. In it stood a bed fit for two, yet only one laid prone upon its satin covers. Long unbridled hair splayed out across its surface, the tresses of fine silver seemingly rippling in waves as its owner turned in uneasy sleep.

A waking dream passed within the weary mind, as though an entire lifetime had passed within the blink of an unseeing mental eye, however short it might be for the young man. His story began as all stories did; mundane, uneventful, taken for granted. His large, rough palm that enveloped his own, her kind loving smile that looked upon him with pride, the nearly frenzied gaze of adulating admiration from the precocious one, her chidings that had always held an unique worldly wisdom, and… her.

Like all reminiscences however, the happier times seemed to pass all too quickly for one's liking. What followed was some of the darkest moments in his day; the rumbling of the storm that was their run in with their nemesis, the mangled web of entrapment that cost him of two dearly loved ones, and the precious hostage that hung defiantly just out of reach. At his lowest point, by some inexplicable miracle, he found the strength to pick himself up and press on, to face both demons and nemesis, and wage a war that would resound for countless later generations… no, it wasn't a miracle that supported him. Right to the very end, even upon the peaks of biting ice and cold, he was supported by nothing as intangible and flimsy as a miracle. His support could be seen, that earnest smile that always hid the honest pain from him. His support could be heard, giving him advice and proclaiming some groundless confidence that things will be alright, when they obviously were not. His support could also be touched, a small lithe frame that he regretted not holding for the longest time, save then when he desperately tried to stave the cold from invading the warmth that was finally in his hands…

And then, there were the events from the previous day, which seemed to play out once again with the most painfully minute details. Riding slowly ahead, playing the part of the eldest surviving offspring, he led the way eastwards for the solemn procession that snaked out of the great white city. Judging by its sheer size, it was as though the whole city had emptied for the long overdue proceedings, albeit the numbers had swelled just for the occasion, particularly from all the other towns in the country. For these people's sake, as well as the grieving younger sibling that had insisted on walking alongside their precious cargoes, he had to be strong. He had to restrain himself, fighting desperately to keep his pain private, even as his seemingly calm gaze swept back towards his loved ones.

There were three important carriages. The largest of the three was a majestic ivory vessel meant for two, even though only one really laid within, alongside the favored sword that stood in for her partner. It mattered not however, they were together in every sense of the word then, and will definitely be together regardless of all else now. Flanking either side of this carriage were his sister, her personal guard, their aunt, the representatives from the towns and various envoys from distant lands. It was a fitting tribute for the ones who had led before them.

The middle of the three was a more modestly sized carriage, one draped about in fabrics and trimmings of darkened purple. Within it rested the other aunt, one who had always acted in the best interest of her family and by extension of that, her country, even though she was frequently misunderstood. Not that she cared for the understanding of anyone that she did not value, of course. That was just how she was, and taking a leaf from her book was just how she came to be there as well. Her assertiveness had evidently rubbed off enough that all objections to the notion were impeccably silenced. She would have been proud of the two. Accompanying this carriage were the knights of the land, although for the three that remained, it would be their last act of service as well.

The last of the three…

Cerulean orbs revealed themselves, weary of sleep and fatigue, when a loud noise erupted into being from the oaken desk by the window. A particularly strong breeze seemed to have caused the thick velvet curtains to billow out, knocking over something quite nosily in the process. Nevertheless, the distraction was more welcomed than grating. Sitting up slowly, the young man gradually registered his surroundings in a mind still thick in the haze of after-sleep.

_Right… the East Palace…_

Raising a slender pale hand upwards, the young man ran it through his mangled silver mane, smoothing out the kinks in both hair and thoughts once over before he sighed. Her clothes had ended up strewn all over the floor once again. He shook his head ruefully. Somehow, some way, he was still expecting a healthy greeting, followed by a gentle reprimand by a certain someone for something sloppy like that, replete with that ruddy cherubic face and all.

Pushing aside the covers carelessly, the young man gradually got to his feet despite the dull drone in his head, his body evidently demanding more than what his mind would allow. Shaking the last of the cobwebs in his head, he made a beeline towards the window, stooping low to pick up her clothes before folding them fastidiously and placing them most carefully into a box on the desk. The next thing that caught his attention was the piles of papers that were weighed down by various sporadic ornate paper weights. Sifting through sea of papers, the young man eventually put together a new pile of his own and was about to leave when he caught himself in the standing mirror.

The unfamiliar figure staring back in the reflection looked far too aged and sallow for his years, a very marked difference from how he remembered himself to be. Then again, he had stopped braiding his hair of late, citing a lack of time and attention to those concerned enough to ask, allowing the silver tresses to spill over and swim about him naturally. He had also filled out his frame a little more than the last he noticed, becoming nearly as tall as his sire, but not yet as muscular. The young man immediately began patting out the creases in the attire that he had fallen asleep in as he made his way out of the room, in particular the silken fabrics that peeked out of the black and gold leather that made up the mainstay of his uniform. He had to look presentable to her after all. Not that she was usually one to mind, but he did.

As he moved swiftly through the halls towards their now usual meeting place, he returned the overly cheerful greetings and bows from the few who woke early enough with polite nods and that weary smile that seemed to have nestled permanently on his features. It was his way of saying "good morning", "nice to see you" and "goodbye" all at once. Inwardly, his conscience berated himself for exploiting his inherent charms for such callous intentions, but the stronger need to see her, to seek her won out. After all, he reasoned, she had always been seeking him out one way or another before. It was his turn now to do the seeking. And with that, he finally made his way to their designated point, a small, secluded glade to the north east of the main palace. It was quiet and unassuming, yet never failing to catch the first rays of the dawn. He knew she would have liked it, and thus he chose it as a place to mark the start of their daily routine, their first rendezvous of the day. He heaved a thankful sigh of relief, having successfully reached the location just as dawn began to break.

"Good morning Lyon. Looks like it'll be another fantastic day again, doesn't it?"

There was no response, save for the chirping of the birds in the moist coolness of the dew-laden air. The young man smiled nonetheless however as he knelt down before her, brushing the slight dust from her top with the most gentle of touches.

"Are you angry with me? I did make it in time today, didn't I? Well, I didn't exactly sleep as much as you wanted me to, but I've got a great excuse… I mean reason for that."

The young man shifted slightly into a sitting position and inched his way closer to her, leaning his back intimately on her smooth, cool disposition. Tugging free the pile of papers that he had compiled earlier, he began thumbing through them as he spoke on.

"As you may well know, there are many things that require the attention of the acting commander of the Queen's Knights. See, with the Georg and Kyle's imminent departure and Galleon's retirement confirmed, we're really down to the very bare minimums in terms of manpower with Miakis being the only other knight we have. Guess I'm more the commander of the Queen's Knight than the Queen's Knights huh? Haha. There are just so many things to do; recruiting, training, restructuring our combined armed forces…"

As the young man continued to list out his various tasks and grouses in a demeanor and mirth far too sanguine than how he had actually been feeling away from her, the dawn had finally reached its full strength, casting its radiance over the land with the brightness that was day. And just as the young man had planned, the small glade seemed to brighten much earlier than the rest of the land, casting the shadows aside as though the veil of night was just lifted from everything nearby. In particular however, the large marbled stone that the young man was leaning on stood out as the light made it glisten with a surreal gleam, along with the emblazened golden inscriptions that read as such.

Shed not for her the bitter tear

Nor give the heart to vain regret

Tis but a mere vessel that linger here

The gem that filled it sparkles yet

For valor beyond measure and service to the Crown

The epitome of duty, knighthood and sacrifice

Herein lies Lyon

Our Beloved Dawn Star

A/N: A little teaser for things to come.


	2. Darkened Light

A Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 2: Darkened Light

"Ugh… where's that brother of mine?!"

"That be the East Palace Queenie. You did order him to take the week off."

A piteous moan floated up towards the high domed ceiling of the Queen's chambers before something stirred under a sea of papers and parchments. Or rather, someone.

"Oh yeah…" continued that whiny voice before a melodic giggle added to the misery of the as yet unseen someone. Thankfully, a pair of fair and slender hands carefully picked the sheets of paper off a rather suspicious queen-shaped mould to reveal a familiar sulky pout.

"Makes you think twice about shooting your mouth off again, huh?"

"Be quiet Miakis! How was I to know that Brother takes on this much work every day!"

"Your Majesty… if I may…" started the other chestnut-haired beauty in the room hesitantly. "I think the number of duties the Prince attends to isn't… isn't normal. His Highness is… deliberately piling work onto himself and… using work to numb himself… it's…"

The girl faltered, unable to finish her sentence while a terse silence befell all three females. The Queen and her knight lowered their eyes to the table while the concerned courtier stood back, painfully aware that she might have overstepped her boundaries with that comment.

"I know… it's worrying. You're not the only one Luserina… Brother hasn't been the same since Lyon… well, you know…" replied the Queen after a thoughtful pause, unwilling to speak further on harsh realities. _It's not like anyone can just tell him to move on and find someone else…_

"Um…" hummed the knight solemnly in agreement, a complicated expression on her face as well.

"Brother has given so much to this country and lost so much in the process… it's so pathetic that I still need him, that all I can do for him right now is a week's rest." continued the young Queen self-depreciatively, laying her head on the table.

"There there, Queenie. We can't help it if we're woefully shorthanded at the moment. It was a good idea for him to take some time off at the East Palace, especially after he single-handedly managed the funeral proceedings and the diplomatic duties on his own."

The knight patted the sullen head of brown hair gently. "Come to think of it, you're pushing yourself rather hard as well."

"Miakis…"

The sound of a chair scrapping lightly on the marble floor made the two girls look up and across the table to see the courtier seated opposite.

"With your permission Your Majesty, please allow me to help out as well. I know it's not in my position to…"

"Luserina?"

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty?"

"By the power vested in me by the crown and my unmatched adorability, I hereby order you to drop all your formalities and get cracking."

The three of them looked at each other before giggling awkwardly, lapsing momentarily into the young girls that they were. It only lasted a brief moment though, when the enormity of the tasks at hand bore down unto them once again. Nevertheless, with gritted teeth and quills no less, the three of them managed to put to rest half of the existing sea of papers by nightfall. This was when a series of curt knocks made furrowed brows look up once again, half thankful for the brief reprieve from the chore at hand.

"Your Majesty, Sir Georg Prime requests an audien-…"

"Granted."

* * *

Some distance from the capital of the Queendom of Falena, a number of travelers found themselves in a fair bit of a trouble, having run into a bout of uncommonly foul weather. A sudden storm had just landed without any warning, the relentless torrent of rain seemingly weighing down their progress as it did their spirits. Heavy wheels crushed the waterlogged ground mercilessly under their weight, even though the rain-beaten carriage trudged on at a snail's pace. The accompanying escort of riders fared no better, the hooves of their mounts becoming increasingly mired in the mixture of earth and mud. The lead rider of the escort rode ahead for a distance before returning, pulling up alongside the large carriage. With near unerring timing, a silk curtain bearing Armes colors was pulled slightly aside, revealing a pair of sharp, wizened eyes.

"How do things look, Captain?"

"Not too good, Commander Valya. The paths ahead are faring no better than the one we are travelling on. The riders may still be able to make it for some distance, but I'm afraid it's impossible for a carriage this size…"

"I see… well, the storm doesn't look like it will subside for some time either. We're in quite a fix it seems. Quite a fix…"

"Don't you even start with your I-told-you-sos! You're the one insisting on having me return to that backward homeland of ours! How was I to know the shortcut through the forest would…" protested a loud, indignant voice.

"Yuma Valya, remember who is in your company." admonished the older man calmly yet firmly. Breathing a heavy sigh, he turned to face the person beside him before giving a half-bow in apology. "Please forgive me and my sister, Princess. My sister tends to forget herself when she becomes defensive."

"What do you mean by that-…"

A glare that promised many unspoken retributions quickly shut the heated retort, reducing it to mere grumbles about the stupidity of older brothers.

"None taken Shula. I share your pain with younger sisters. After all, I do have six of them as well." assured the honored company in the carriage with a melodic tone. "However, do refrain from calling me Princess. I am merely the eldest borne of a chieftain, as are you. We are friends after all."

"As you wish, Kayla."

Turning back to the captain of the escort, the leader of the entourage made a quick decision.

"Captain, I believe that attempting to carry on our journey in this weather would not be wise. Falena's East Palace is just a little way to the Northeast from here. Shall we set off towards it for the time being? I'm sure the men are in need of rest as well."

"As you wish, Commander Valya. On behalf of my men, I thank you for considering their welfare."

The captain of the escort accorded the commander with an Armes salute before riding off to relay the new orders, leaving the three esteemed persons to their privacy.

* * *

"You're being awfully nice to the men Shula. Have you mellowed since I last saw you?" asked the older lady in the carriage, an amused light shining in her amber eyes.

"Whatever do you mean Kayla? I have always been kind to those who are of use to Armes." replied the man matter-of-factly, returning the bemused expression. "I'm more surprised by you Kayla. Who would have thought that the free-spirited gallivanting girl I knew would become the new speaker for the Darja clan, let alone travel all the way to Sol Falena for diplomatic duty."

"Free-spirited and gallivanting eh? Don't you mean lazy? Besides, I hardly look like one dressed like this." The scarlet-haired woman gestured down the front of her exquisite ruby and gold Armes gown, her fingers lingering a little longer then necessarily on the generous amount of cleavage put on display from the slit across the chest. The two older siblings looked at each other before laughing silently with their eyes, some unspoken joke having passed between them. "Oh well, diplomatic duty is a fair excuse to get away from work at home and sightsee in former enemy territory. What's not to like?"

"Stupid older brothers and sisters…" mumbled the youngest one in the carriage, forcefully humbled by the overwhelming maturity overflowing from the two older ones. Their interaction managed to fall into a familiar pattern for some time before the carriage lurched forward and back suddenly, forcing the three occupants to grab onto some part of the carriage to steady themselves.

"Are you two alright?"

"Oww…"

"Yes, just a little surprised."

The man in the carriage nodded as he heaved a light sigh of relief. However, his ears pricked up soon after at the strained neighing of horses and the sounds of brandished steel.

"Commander Valya! Miladies! Are you unhurt?"

"Yes, we're fine. What's happening outside?" queried the commander quickly, as composed as always.

"We're under attack by a pack of large red beasts, sir! They look like a cross between bears and wolves!"

"Blood ulses… it seems like this really isn't our day…" mused the man a little ruefully, tapping the side of a cheek with his feathered fan.

"Now now Shula, don't go treating me like some shirking violet now. We are in the military you know."

A thin eyebrow was raised at the pair of curved Armes sabers that appeared from a hidden compartment under the floor of the carriage.

"It's as good a time as any to see if we've lost our touch on the frontlines."

The two exchanged similar wry smiles before grasping a blade each.

"Yuma, stay in the –"

"Yeah yeah yeah…"

* * *

Back in Sun Palace of Sol Falena, the eyes of the three female courtiers went wide with shock, their expressions aghast from the mere suggestion that the departing knight had just worded.

"Sir Georg! What are you suggesting? Surely you jest!?" exclaimed Luserina anxiously, being the first to find her words after the bolt from the blue.

The knight slowly raised his head from the knelt position in which he made his proposal, his sole good eye solemn and grave, startling the three women in the room even further.

"It's just as I said…" sighed the knight wearily before continuing. "The Prince is dying. If he stays here, he will surely be lost."

* * *

A frenzied howl of pain found itself drowned out by the combined chorus of the pelting rain and the sound of battle that raged on around the carriage. The battle itself was not going too well for the travelers; the number of blood ulses seemed to grow at every opportunity, drawn in by the scent of the blood of their fallen kind while the ten Armes riders that formed the escorting entourage had been reduced to a mere half-dozen through injury. The two soaked aristocratic bureaucrats found themselves pressed back to back against each other as well, a little winded after having fell a fair share of the feral beasts.

"Times like this make me wish that the Fire rune was not the standard issue for Armes soldiers." exhaled the frail-looking commander as he sought to regain his breath.

"Point taken. I'll be sure to do something about that…" returned his muddied bedraggled partner of the friendly banter despite the circumstances. Crimson irises narrowed at the tell-tale signs of an impending attack from the four blood ulses circling them. "If we survive this of course… heads up…"

The two nobles raised their blades as the four wolf beasts simultaneously leapt off the ground and lunged straight at them from above. However, the animals never made it that far.

"Shula! Get down!" ordered a commanding voice from a distance.

Midway in the wolf-beasts' jump, the moist night air seemed to cackle with bright bluish-white energies before a large ring of electrical energy appeared under them. A barrage of white lightning bolts descended from the heavens, impacting directly unto the beasts, causing the bulk of the electrical energy to spill over and discharge itself as a sea of lightning, electrocuting everything caught within its area of effect. Fortunately, the Armes ambassador had heard and reacted in time to his name to drag his fencing partner down to the muddied ground, thus avoiding the same fate as the masses of charred limbs and singed fur that fell around them.

"What in the – was that a Soaring Bolt?" asked the newly muddied redhead.

"Aye. Amazing power isn't it?"

The pair of aristocrats stayed prone on the ground for several moments more while the air just overhead cackled further with electrical energy. In a similar manner from before, four spells insignias of a slightly varied make and design appeared beneath the remaining groups of the wolf creatures, bursting open into a collective maelstrom of electrical energy that rained lightning continuously upon the blood ulses that surrounded the carriage. The Armes riders stood awed at the scale of the magical attack before them, unsure which to be more fearful of; the dreadful sight of the pitiful canines twitching uncontrollably as their fur, flesh and innards fried in plain sight, or the man capable of summoning the lightning tempest responsible for it.

Heavy hooves made themselves known as their unexpected reinforcement emerged into view. Perched on the back of a charging black stallion was a man with flowing silver tresses and the signature black and gold armor privy only to Falena's finest warriors. The emblem of a jagged lightning bolt had yet to fade from his right hand when he pulled up alongside the two Armes nobles.

"Shula, it really is you. What are you doing here?" queried mounted newcomer familiarly.

"Your –"

Before Shula could respond, his sharp eyes darted quickly at a fleeting shadow to the right. That slight reaction was all the cue the Falenan knight needed as he reached for the hilt stowed on his left. In one fierce fluid motion and a sway of silver hair, the knight had whipped his blade out in a violent arc, catching the blood ulse that pounced on him unawares, severing the front limbs of the canine beast, muscle, bone, sinew and all. Before the ulse could even keel over, the Killer rune on the knight's right hand emitted a purplish red glow and slashed upwards almost on its own accord, tearing the creature vertically into halves.

The two Armes diplomats looked on thoughtfully at the clinical way the knight dispatched off the beast. Nevertheless, even their experienced and usually imperturbable minds skipped a beat when he turned around, his silver hair dyed crimson with the blood of the canine, red streaks running down the ridges of his face. Almost as fleetingly as it came loose however, the pair quickly stowed away their emotions and recomposed their smiling facades.

"Well fought, Your Highness."

"Come off it Shula. You would have had it covered if I hadn't." shrugged the knight as he dismounted, preferring to be on level ground with his good friend and important ally.

"Your Highness?" queried the female diplomat.

"Allow me to do the introductions. Kayla, this is His Royal Highness Prince Freyadour, Commander of the Queen's Knights of Falena. His Highness, this is Kayla Varna, head of the Varna family and the newly appointed speaker for the Darja Clan of Armes. She is here to send King Jialaat's personal condolences to the Queen, so I guess you might have missed her due to your duties. I was going to escort the lady back to Armes via Lordlake and Sable when, well, this happened."

"Lady Kayla, please accept my sincere apologies for your troubles. I was returning to Sol Falena myself when I heard the sound of fighting." said the Prince with genuine concern. "I hope that this unexpected turn of affairs has not diminished your impression or goodwill towards Falena."

"Rest assured that it hasn't. As a matter of fact, I feel privileged to be able to witness the skills of the famed Queen's Knights of Falena first hand, particularly that of the renowned Prince no less." replied the lady pleasantly, not at all concerned about the her muddied appearance.

"Is that so? You flatter me milady." deflected the Prince deftly of the praise. Formalities aside, he turned his attention back to the cries of the retreating ulses before addressing the pair of Armes nobles once again. "The blood ulses seemed to have retreated for now, but to be on the safe side, I will go make sure they don't turn around. The East Palace is just a little over half an hour's ride away, so please allow me to extend to you the hospitality and warmth of our modest castle."

"You are most kind, your Highness."

"By your leave."

The two Armes aristocrats saw the Prince off as he galloped off towards the forest, before turning around and walking back towards the carriage.

"So… that's the Prince you mentioned."

"Yes."

"I see… no wonder our forces lost so lost so resoundingly. Jidan Guisu and Maha Sparna aren't nearly up to par against someone of this stature... Shula, I believe your judgment is correct. Armes would do well to stay away from stirring Falena's ire at the moment. If the Prince reflected the state of the nation, their civil war might have actually strengthened the Queendom in the long run. Falena will become a strong nation, and I would prefer her as an ally much more than an enemy. However…"

"Yes… "

"The Prince of Falena is as formidable warrior as you described; possessing both immense magical ability and a flair for fighting skills. However…" The image of the dark angry eyes under the head of bloodied silver hair flashed before the back of her crimson eyes once more. "There is also no longer any hesitation between his movement and his intent to kill. He is like a length of newly tempered steel, awaiting its first cut. It won't be possible for us to let our guard down completely when there's someone of this dangerous calibre and temperament here in Falena..."

"Such are the scars of war and loss…"

The two weary bureaucrats finally reached the carriage at the end of their slow, pensive walk. Upon opening the door, both of them couldn't help but smile at sight of a certain younger sister, curled up among the plush cushions, despite the heavy heart and truth that they shared.

"I really can't hate spoilt little sisters if it means they would grow up without knowing them."

"Aye."

* * *

A/N: I've added a new character into the fold, Kayla Varna. Think of her as a counterpart to Shula Valya, and the person who came into power over the Darja Clan after the disgraced Jidan Guisu and Maha Sparna were defeated by the Falenan forces during the game. Like Shula who actually had command of the Armes Western Marine Corp, Kayla had taken over the Armes Southern Mountain Corp and reformed the Darja Clan in the wake of the invasion debacle. I'll develop her along the way, just to add a little Armes flavor to the story.


	3. The Scorching Dawn

A Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Scorching Dawn

Heavy hooves cantered on the rain-soaked earth until they ground to a halt, the ebony stallion registering naught but a light snort and neigh from what would have been a harrowing march for lesser steeds. Dark eyes fell intently on the backs of the scattering beasts, muscles tense and raring to continue pursuit of the prey, if not for the lack of meaning from such an endeavor. The leather stirrups protested with a soft creak as the weight it bore shifted, until finally a part of it lifted, a loud thud emerging where a discarded goatskin bag sank into the muddied ground. The heady scent of canine blood and rotting flesh wafted from the bloodied bundle, causing nostrils to flare and crease moments before a fiery crimson glow emanated in the near-darkness. A small, sustained inferno ignited despite the ceaseless torrent of rain, engulfing the incriminating article with unnaturally fierce scarlet flames for a whole of two seconds. As soon as the spell ceased, the surrounding air rushed in and upwards to replace the severely depleted oxygen, the sudden uplift of air sending the stubborn remains of ash and ember fluttering and lost into the storm.

The stallion neighed contentedly as a soft gloved hand stroked its midnight mane gently, soothing away the pent up aggression and adrenaline from the hunt. The intelligent mount reared its head up slightly when the touch lingered, almost as though it sensed or felt the hesitation and weariness that permeated from its partner. The gloved hand caught itself from its absent action when the black stallion shivered intentionally, a final pat on its neck and a tighter hold on the reins indicating a return to attentiveness.

"Thank you. It is done. Let's go."

* * *

"_The Prince is dying…"_

A silver spoon landed on the edge of an ornate dish with a series of loud clangs, loud if only due to the stifling silence of the area.

"Queenie…"

The young Queen looked to her right and stared blankly at her knight for two moments before light returned to her hooded eyes.

"Miakis… Ah, w-what a mess… I…"

"It's alright. Don't move."

A napkin was quickly brought out and dapped on the brunette's cheek before it ventured further northwards, the clean silk quickly soaking in the few beads of weary moisture clinging just below the eyelids.

"Miakis…"

"Hmm…?" hummed the knight as she focused on her duty of protecting her Queen's face from any reluctant tears still hiding within her eyes.

"Do you think Georg is right… about Brother I mean…?"

"Wwelll…" replied her knight cautiously, dragging the tail of her reply to buy some time to think of an answer that she herself would like as well. "I think we can at least be certain that the Prince has been through a lot of… bad things. Maybe… well, maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

The two girls in the royal dining room jumped at the unexpected voice that came up from behind them.

"Brother/Prince!" they cried in unison, united in their thorough shock.

The object of their anticipation and alarm arched his silvered brows a little at the pair's expressions, feeling a little indecisive on whether to be amused or puzzled by the picture of the two.

"What's wrong? Did I come in at a bad time?"

"N-No, but Brother, you still have a few days of leave left." continued the Queen and sister, gradually recovering from the man's sudden appearance. "You should be resting up in the East Palace…"

"Oh, and leave you to drown in my paperwork? What type of big brother would I be if I did that?"

The Queen and her knight winced slightly at their memory of the past few days, slogging away at a little table that with a mountain of papers that seemed only to grow upwards instead of down.

"I'm sorry… if only I could be of more use…"

The young Queen hushed when she felt a familiar hand fondly patting the top of her straight hazel tresses again, causing the girl to revert into her little sister mode and sigh wistfully, tilting her head a little to nuzzle into her favourite hand. Her knight, on the other hand, looked at two of them with another complicated expression, seemingly both bemused and envious of their interaction somewhat.

"It takes practice. You'll get the hang of it… eventually."

"Ewww…" protested the Queen weakly as she inched forward to glomp her big brother properly.

"Lym, you're getting a little too big for this you know."

"I don't care. I'm the Queen. Humour me."

An airy, melodic giggle rang out from beside the siblings.

"Aww… I really do love cuddly cuddling armadillos."

"Shut up Miakis."

"Ahem…" coughed the currently glomped big brother awkwardly. "Speaking of work…"

The young man pulled out a pile of papers from the clean robes he wore above his slightly mangled armour, waving it as best he could with one of his arms occupied by her sister's.

"I would like you take a look at these."

"Eww… more work?" whined the young Queen, although she did let go of her brother to receive the stack of papers like a proper monarch would. "What's this?"

"Other than some matters to discuss with the Parliament, the list of new candidates for the Queen's Knights. I've already sent out the invitations from the East Palace."

"EHH!!!"

* * *

A flock of seagulls passed between the brilliant blue skies and a pair of footsteps treading on white stone in an awe-inspiring white display, causing the pair of travelers to pause momentarily to take in the beauty of the moment. The two resumed their trek down the long barrage linking the white town boulevard and the outer reaches of the even grander white palace soon after it passed however. One of them comprised of calm, slow, yet powerful strides that exuded a sense of purpose with each step. His companion on the other hand was trying to measure up to the inadvertently long steps with quick, rapid ones of his own, a fiery and competitive will belying the younger boy's eager steps.

"Wow… it feels like forever since we were last here."

"Indeed…"

A hand reached up to adjust a set of high collars for what seemed the umpteenth time since leaving the tavern.

"But man… what's with the outfit?" groused the younger boy, fidgeting about his new set of black leathers and matching robes. "I get the sharper look and all, but what's wrong with Lordlake's serape all of a sudden? It's looser and more comfortable too."

"Now now, Her Majesty and His Commandership are granting us a personal audience after all. It never hurts to dress more formally."

"Oh yeah, then why do you get to wear your serape in that case?"

A nearly imperceptible smile crept forth from under a wizened white beard.

"You read the letter too. All questions are to be addressed to the Prince directly. Besides…" The veteran of many winters accorded the boy with a mysteriously proud gaze. "You have a long time to get used to it."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Hush. That's enough questions for today. We've reached the palace."

The young boy fumed a little as they waited for the gates to open, knowing that no one other than Doctor Silva would be able to pry anything else out of the old knight when he decides that mum's the word. Nevertheless, he lightened up considerably when the gates did open, revealing a small group of familiar faces.

"Galleon, look! It's our friends from the war!"

"Indeed they are! Let us go greet them then." agreed the aged veteran in equally good spirit.

"Georg! Belcoot! Hazuki! Everyone!"

"Oh hey, it's Toma. Yet another sight for sore eyes! And hmm… you've gotten taller again, hadn't he?" acknowledged the one-eyed knight of the bright-eyed boy that ran up to him, ruffling his hair for good measure when he came close enough.

"Yes, boys do seem to grow very fast the moment you take your eyes off them, particularly here in Falena it seems." added the swordswoman sagely after she accorded the pair that just entered with a polite bow. Belcoot nodded and made a quick hum in agreement before moving forward to shake hands with Galleon. The others in the room, namely Kyle, Miakis, Shigure, Sagiri, Dinn and Roog waved back at the enthusiastic child.

"However… those clothes…"

"Ah…" mused Georg thoughtfully. "I think I'm beginning to get why you lot were asked to come here."

"Eh?"

Any response the boy may have hoped for would have to wait however as a series of trumpets blew out in unison.

* * *

"Announcing the arrival of Her Majesty Queen Lymsleia and His Commandership Prince Freyjadour." announced an unseen herald in a typically archaic fashion.

Sure enough, out from the Queen's Audience chamber stepped the royal siblings in all their glory. The young Queen truly looked her stunning and majestic part as she entered; the long scarlet, vermilion and white robes that seemed to trail the ground behind her only adding to the elegance and beauty from her strong bloodline. A gold and rubied crown in the design of a blazing sun sat comfortably upon her forehead, as though it was reaffirming the fact that the girl of twelve had finally gotten accustomed to the weight and duties it signified.

Alongside the Queen walked the current Commander of the Queen's Knights, his bearings no less regal or majestic as his beloved sister. Above the dark leathers that peeked out were the customary black, gold and white robes that represented one as a member of Falena's finest bevy of warriors; his waist-length silver mane remaining unfettered however as it intermingled freely with the royal colours on the long vermilion bow tethered to his back. An unadorned long-sword hung loosely by his right hip, neither too close nor too far from the gloved hands of its wielder.

"Your Majesties." greeted the group as they bowed in deference to the rulers of the land. The current Queen's Knights simply saluted. Friends and comrades they may be, but formalities had to be observed.

Or not.

"Come off it you guys. We're among friends here. Aren't we, Lym?" replied the young Commander in an affable fashion.

"That's right, although I really have to talk to the trumpeters about whether such noisy pomp was really necessary." added the even younger Queen, rubbing the side of an ear gingerly with a few pokes of her finger.

"Aww… I say they just got a little too enthusiastic since we haven't had guests for a while. You know how Falenans are crazy about their adorable new Queen."

"S-Shut up Miakis!"

The group laughed politely at the cute exchange between the Queen and her bodyguard, feeling what tension they had draining away before they realized it.

"Well, back on a serious note... The reason why you guys are here… is that I have an invitation… no, more like a favor to ask of you."

The tension suddenly returned in full force when the Prince's gaze suddenly narrowed and became hawkish, albeit a strange sense of mischief pervaded his cerulean irises. Looking straight at Belcoot, he aimed a wry smile.

"Don't worry Belcoot, I'm not asking you to become my brother-in-law."

"Brother!"

The Prince laughed his rare laugh, coaxed forth from the aghast and exasperated expressions on the Kanakan swordsman and his sister respectively, rare if only due to his moods of late.

"No, the reason why you guys are here is that I would like the seven of you to join the Queen's Knights."

"EH!?" exclaimed the group of seven in astonishment. Even Sagiri looked a little surprised, while the straw in Shigure's mouth fell to the floor, the latter hanging in disbelief.

"That's right. I would like your assistance once again to help defend Falena."

"P-Prince, it's an incredible honour and all, but…" started Roog uncertainly, attempting a pale imitation of his friend Rahal in terms of tact that was all but halted when the Prince raised his hand in interruption.

"Please allow me to finish. Falena has lost much over the civil war, and there is still much to be done in order to restore the country back to its former self. One of the first things we have to do is to restore the ranks of our finest warriors, the Queen's Knights, especially with Galleon, Georg and Kyle leaving. As a country that has just gone through a civil war, Falena may be perceived as wounded animal by other countries, right for the pickings. It is imperative that we show that our strength in depth, perhaps more as a deterrent measure than anything else."

"Hah, I don't see how just adding seven more knights would help make us look any stronger." commented Shigure snidely, having finally recovered from the surprise earlier.

"I had given it some thought on this. I believe that it is high time for the Queen's Knights to evolve. What I mean is, although having a task force to physically protect the Queen is important, I would like the Queen's Knights to assume more leadership duties as well, to become leaders of men and women who would become fellow protectors of the Queen and Queendom. Our armed forces would have to evolve as well, to make up for the current lack of numbers by training them to be a highly effective, fast and compact fighting force."

"Phew… much like how it was in the Royalist army during the rebellion huh?" whistled Georg thoughtfully. "An entire army or navy based on this concept could defeat an enemy twice or thrice its size… it certainly has possibilities…"

"That's why Belcoot, Hazuki…" The Commander turned his gaze unto the Kanakan swordsman. "I'm counting on the two of you. As Queen's Knights, I would like to assign you to Stormfist, to take charge of the city, Doraat and the western border."

"Stormfist? Not Sol Falena?" asked Belcoot in surprise, almost a little too quickly.

"Yes." confirmed the Prince with a knowing look in his eyes. "To be more specific however, that's how things would be in the event of war. There would still be the local governors in charge of running each town during the more peaceful times.. Belcoot, Hazuki, your main tasks would be to oversee the recruit training school. In fact, I have plans to expand it further."

A stack of papers appeared rather unexpectedly from a long sleeve and was shared between the two prospective Queen's Knights with reluctant, yet interested expressions. The Prince continued as they leafed through the contents.

"The recruit training school is an integral part of my vision for the new Falenan army; it is the place where our new troops would be trained and the new life-spring of our military. Other than the four year military course for regular soldiers, I would like to create two additional entities; the Training cadre for identifying and nurturing prospective trainers from among the new students and the Knights cadre, a specialized force for elite students who may have the potential to become new Queen's Knights in the future."

"T-This… This is…"

"Say you'll accept my invitation Belcoot. Heck, you're Falenan too. Help us out a little."

"Y-Yes. It'll be my honour and privilege to count myself among the Queen's Knights, but Hazuki's…"

"I accept too."

Cerulean slanted to the side towards that all too quick reply, a sly smile hanging on but never really revealing itself on the Commander's lips.

* * *

"Dinn," the Prince turned towards the man known as the Southern Seraph next. "I would like to station you at Sables in a similar capacity, to oversee the eastern border. However, seeing that our relations with Armes have taken a turn for the better, your main tasks would be to succeed Lord Raulbel as the governor of Sables and to oversee a new town that I would like to set up between Lordlake and Sables."

"A new town?"

"Yes. A town of skilled craftsmen, dwarves, beavers and humans alike, a town devoted to producing quality items of armour, weapons and crafts. The Dwarf Camp would help supply quality ore via one of the Feitas waterways while the trade route with Armes would also provide a greater variety of raw materials for the craftsmen as well as a prospective new market. This is another key component of my plans, to produce high-quality armour to protect the lives of our troops and to replenish our treasury by developing a niche area in trade and commerce. Mohsen and Dongo are helping me to organize the town, so all you have to do is to keep an eye on them, to keep them from doing anything too… crazy, for a lack of a better word."

"I see… then I have no reason to decline your invitation Sir. I accept your offer your Highness."

* * *

"Great. Now, unlike the three of them, the four of you would be stationed in Sol Falena…" Turning to Roog, the Prince continued as smoothly as he began the long talk. "Roog, your knighthood shouldn't be more than a formality for you. You are already the commander of the Sun Palace Dragon Brigade, so your appointment would actually help facilitate the cooperation between the two units. Consider it a reaffirming of your present status if you will." The head of silver hair turned towards the Queen's bodyguard for support. "What do you think Miakis?"

"Huh? Oh, well, it would be a blast to work alongside Roog again I guess."

"R-Really?" The tall dragon cavalier suddenly brought his hand to his chest and stood in a tense salute. "O-Okay, I want in Prince. I mean, I want the job Your Highness. I mean…"

* * *

"Then it's settled. As for the two of you…"

"Your Highness, I appreciate the offer… but I highly doubt we make suitable members." began Sagiri stoically, although a somewhat sad light appeared in her eyes despite the perennial smile on her face.

"Yeah… what she said…"

The Prince sighed for what seemed like the first time for the day.

"I understand your difficulties, but I would like you two to think of it as a good way for your… rehabilitation." He produced yet another mysterious stack of papers from his other sleeve, sharing them among the two investigators. "I would like to set up a new branch of the Queen's Knights, an intelligence and covert ops unit. I would like the two of you to head it."

"What!!" shouted Shigure loudly. Sagiri on the other hand looked stunned despite her stony disposition.

"Don't look at me like that," sighed the Prince for the second time. "I'm not Godwin, and I'm not forming another Nethergate."

A somber atmosphere befell everyone in the room.

"I'm sure everyone understands the importance of reliable intelligence from our experiences in the war. It is one of the most important aspects of our defense, the ability to identify threats and react ahead of time, to prepare countermeasures and strategies. I require someone familiar with covert ops to spearhead this aspect of our deterrent strategy. What I need are pairs of eyes where plotters and usurpers would least expect it, not assassins. We can always leave the rest to the military and civil militia."

The Prince turned to look at the two former assassins with a look that conveyed nothing but understanding, unyielding faith and determination.

"You are the only ones I can entrust this operation to in Oboro's absence. I am certain that you two, of all people, would not repeat the mistakes of the past."

"Prince…"

"Take some time to think over it. There's no rush. However, I am reluctant to hand the task over to any lesser men."

"…"

* * *

"Eh? That's three… so who's the fourth?" asked the youngest member of the group, excluding the young Queen.

The other Knights, new and old, all looked at him with a strange expression.

"Well, you're already wearing the uniform, aren't you?" chided Georg kindly, ruffling his hair again.

"EH!?"

"Toma, I would like you to join the Queen's Knight as an apprentice. Galleon would assist you in training from time to time, but the other Knights in the palace will help instruct you on the finer arts of fighting and warfare. Oh, and Nifsara has most generously offered to help out in any way as well."

"EH!?"

* * *

As the young Queen's Knight Apprentice fired off one question after another, Galleon sighed but looked upon the boy fondly anyway.

"He's come a long way, but he still has got a long way to go too."

"Yes… I agree…"

The old veteran turned around to face Georg who was beside him.

"Are you referring to Toma or the Prince?"

"Both…"

The Prince chose this time to address the older generation of the Queen's Knights.

"In addition, I would like to appoint Miakis as the Vice-Commander of the Queen's Knights. As for the Kyle, Georg and Galleon, please do let me know once you decide on when you would like to be discharged from your duties, because until that time, I would like you to help out with training and other duties in the meanwhile.

"What? Me? Vice-Commander?"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"Hey, what are you guys agreeing so readily for!?"

* * *

The new and old generations of the Queen's Knights took the opportunity to mingle around, catching up on old times while the Queen and the Prince took the rare moment to rest easy among friends. However, this made approaching the Prince unnoticed a most difficult task for a certain one eyed swordsman. However, the chance soon came when the royal siblings decided to make a move for the Parliament session happening soon, their paths diverting in order to retrieve some material from their respective rooms.

"Prince!"

The silver-haired knight turned around at the sound of his familiar moniker.

"Georg, what is it?"

"I was hoping to have a word with you. It's about…" the man stopped at a motion of his Commander's hand.

"I'm sorry Georg. Today is a rather busy day for me. If possible, could you meet me in the Commander's chambers tonight?"

"Yes… that would be fine."

* * *

The commander of the Sun Palace Dragon Brigade whistled in a cheerful but oddly unfitting fashion as he took some time to relax in the beautiful palace gardens, strolling about the place rather absent-mindedly in the lovely waning light of the evening. Even though the day was filled with far too many twists and unexpected turn of events, he couldn't help but feel rather pleased about himself.

"Sir Roog, Commander of the Sun Palace Dragon Brigade and a Queen's Knight…"

The tall muscular man stopped in his tracks for a moment, looked upwards and hummed. A few seconds later, he tried again.

"Sir Roog, Queen's Knight and Commander of the Sun Palace Dragon Brigade… hmm, slightly better."

A goofy smile lit up his face, a simple joy for a simple person.

_With this, I'm finally on the same level with Miakis in terms of status at least…_

"ROOG!"

"Ah what!? Huh?!" uttered the recently appointed Queen's Knight as he looked around frantically, jolted out of his daydreams through the force of that familiar yell.

"Roog!"

"Rahal! Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Sauronix Castle?"

The Commander of the Dragon Calvary almost ran directly towards his friend, with little semblance of his normally cool and collected self about him.

"Roog! Have you seen Craig or the Prince?"

"Whoa whoa… I haven't seen Craig for a very long while, and well, the Prince is in the Parliament session right now… Rahal, what's this about?"

"This!"

A wrinkled piece of parchment was thrust into the other man's hands.

"Hmm… Huh? Craig has been summoned for indictment by the Prince?"

* * *

The hours had run late in the Parliament house, the different representatives from each town having each brought and argued for their cases in front of all the other leaders. A certain sense of fatigue had set upon the people in the room from the exertions of a long day, except for perhaps, the Royals in the room. While the Queen was still fairly awake due to a prodigious effort on her part, the Prince seemed almost unaffected by the long hours, contributing to various conversations at once with his intricate insights. Nevertheless, everyone seemed to perk up at the conclusion of the final motion of the day, no doubt relishing their soon-to-be freedom. That is, until…

"… and so this concludes the motion of additional trade routes with Armes. 56 votes for yea, 4 votes of nay. Mr Shinro will hence take charge of organizing the various logistics issues involved. Are there any other matters to be heard for the day? If not, I think it would be wise to call it a day…"

"Sorry Talgeyl. Just one more." announced the Prince, a serious expression on his face. "I wish to pursue an indictment of a certain individual for dereliction of duty. Craig Laden."

A chorus of murmurs instantly filled the Parliament as many tired members were jolted awake by the gravity of the issue. More murmurs sounded when the man himself entered the chamber.

"P-Prince, you can't indite, I mean indict Craig!? I mean, he helped…"

The purple-haired bodyguard's protests seized up involuntarily at the sharp look that the Prince sent her way. She sank heavily into her chair, unable to believe what was happening as a certain Queen held her hand in concern.

"Craig Laden," the entire chamber quietened down as the Prince spoke. "You are hereby charged with dereliction of duty. Do you accept these charges?"

"I do."

"We object!" bellowed a pair of voices from beyond a chamber door before it burst wide open, revealing the two dragon cavalry commanders behind them.

"Prince! You can't be serious about charging Craig with what happened in the war, can you?" asked Roog in disbelief.

"Yes! You know of our circumstances then. You were there when it was uncovered too!"

"Silence, both of you!"

The two dragon cavaliers looked towards the man who roared at them, the object of their defense, Craig Laden himself.

"The Prince has every right to charge me. My inflexibility and actions, or perhaps the lack thereof, had almost caused the entire country to suffer due to my inability to see the bigger picture. If things had gone just a little differently, I would have caused our country to fall into the hands of the Godwins and Armes. Roog, Rahal, stand down. I am resolved to take responsibility for myself."

"But Craig!"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, the whole lot of you." The eyes of everyone in the chamber wafted back towards the Prince as he drew himself erect, his presence suddenly gaining a prominent edge and light.

"I am not speaking of the events of the war. I am well aware of that without you reminding me Rahal. I am referring to your resignation after it. You, Craig Laden, are aware of the crisis your own inflexibility had almost caused. Yet, instead of the proper ways of making amends, to continue your work in the dragon cavalry, you chose to resign. What you thought was your means of taking responsibility for yourself did absolutely nothing in terms of making amends to Falena, other than costing her one of her finest cavalry commanders. I, however, intend to rectify this fact."

"Prince…"

"And henceforth, I hereby sentence Craig Laden to ten years of hard labour."

"T-Ten?" repeated Miakis dumbly, although the word found quick repetition in the mouths of almost every other members of the Parliament.

"And I have chosen Rainwall as the place for you to serve your sentence."

"Rainwall?"

"Yes, for your sentence over the next ten years is to serve as a tutor for a certain noble residing there, young master Euram Barrows."

An even bigger uproar resounded about the room, while a certain brunette courtier gasped aloud beside the Queen. The Queen felt a little silly, but reached out her other hand nonetheless to hold the courtier's in her small palms as well, looking suspiciously like the part of a young girl flanked by two older sisters. However, no one really noticed as they were fixated in the manner in which the Prince continued to address Craig, as well as the contents of the sentence.

"As a tutor, you are expected to instruct young master Euram in all the arts requisite for a noble befitting the stature of the Barrows name. This includes studies in fencing, literature, administration and most importantly, moral integrity, among others. I want you to groom the young master into someone who is able to become one of the pillars of our new Falena, as his most esteemed ancestors had done for the first Queen. You'll find that this is a much more conducive endeavour compared to your mere resignation."

"I see… now I know why you call it hard labour…"

"Punishments are rarely pleasant, are they not?"

"Any chance you could send me to fight the Nagarea Theocracy single-handedly instead? It might just turn out a lot easier…"

In lieu of a reply, the Prince shot him a wry smile. He really couldn't help but let it slip out after spotting a happily weeping Luserina being attended to by a flustered Queen in a rather hysterical manner.

"Very well, I accept your sentence Your Highness. I hope that I am able to meet your expectations this time." acknowledged the former Commander of the Dragon Cavalry in his typical, stately demeanor before a chorus of rapturous applause rang out from the entire floor of the Parliament around him.

* * *

Night has finally fallen upon Sol Falena, drawing a curtain over the tumultuous events of the day that transpired one after another. However, as things would have it, there was to be one more to go before rest could be allowed, or even thought of, and it announced itself in a series of crisp knocks upon and oaken door.

"Come in."

The quiet guest entered the room and walked to the front of a large cedar table, where a certain silver-haired knight laid reclined upon the headrest of a large armchair behind it. His face showed the first signs of fatigue for the day, a sallow, withdrawn look that glowed with a ghostly sheen in the moonlight, a sharp contrast from the the exuberant and determined front that he had projected for most of the day.

"Prince."

"Georg, what is it?" asked Prince casually, his eyes still closed at the moment.

"Looks like you had a long day. I heard what happened in the Parliament today."

"Yes, although I did regret making Luserina cry… but I'm sure that's nowhere close to what you came here to say. A review of my day would hardly warrant a specific audience with the Commander."

"Well… how should I put it… I'm thinking of going up to the northern continent for a bit, and… well…"

Ceruleans orbs opened just in time to lock eyes with the serious yet hopeful gaze of the one-eyed knight.

"How about a vacation?"


	4. Sojourn

A Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 4: Sojourn

The gentle rustling of a modest comb against precious silver strands drifted inconspicuously in and out of his former quarters, amidst the busy patter of feet and the far more raucous backdrop of ceremonial trumpets and fanfare. It was a busy day after all, a day of formality, pomp and celebration. It was also one that was necessary particular to the recent times, an excuse for the common people to rejoice, and… for other less official reasons. In exchange, the fuss that had to be endured was very much acceptable, or at least tolerable.

Fuss such as the prolonged contact between shy hands and his own silken tresses. Not that it was annoying or irritating at all. In fact, it was a little sweet and amusing, particularly the quiet hitch in breath and the abrupt manner in which those small hands left his hair. The maid must be blushing now, embarrassed to death at being caught in the midst of her wild daydreams and fantasies. His smile must have given him away.

"Y-Your Commandership, I'm done."

Eyes that were closed all this while finally opened, revealing orbs of cerulean blue that beheld a mix of emotions and sentiments, yet revealing little other than appreciation and a dash of bemusement.

"Thank you for your hard work."

The young maiden visibly reddened and bowed hurriedly. Leaving the young girl some time to collect herself, the said Commander rose from his seat and straightened out the minor creases in his dark uniform.

Just as he was about to move away from the dressing table, satisfied at his apparent presentability, a ghost of a touch on his back halted him in his tracks. It was his turn to have his breath caught and hitched.

The feel of timid hands lingered beyond the shell of black leather before they reached for the sides, threading themselves past frozen arms to take hold of the discrete nooks in the front of the armour, shifting it into a proper alignment with the black silk robe beneath. Those hands retracted quickly thereafter, and left altogether after a few last pats on the final few stubborn creases remaining.

An increasingly awkward silence filled the room for a few moments before it was hastily broken by a panicky voice.

"Ah! M-My apologies Your Commandership! I just did what I normally do with my father's armour before he leaves for the garrison… I should have been paying more attention… I'm so sorry! I'm…"

The desperate tones in the apology managed to stir the said Commander from his own trance, enabling him to release the belated breath he did not know he was holding. His tall frame trembled as he sought to rein in the aftershocks of the brief moment while a pale hand covered his mouth, seeking to do the same with the retching sensation in his chest. Shaking his head several times, he managed to recover his bearings with just the slightest hint of distress. It helped that the maid was more flustered than before and had her head bowed throughout.

"N-No, there's no need to apologise…"

The cowed head of deep earth looked up hesitantly, an unsure expression still plastered on her countenance until the Commander shook his head rigidly.

"Thank you…"

The Commander spoke not another word as he looked over to the mirror, stowing away both his regret and relief at having dispelled the brief ghost of a memory back behind his sombre gaze.

He turned and strode past the relieved maid towards the exit. Upon reaching the door, he cast a discrete glance back at his room, and at the girl who was seeing him off with a respectful bow. Nodding slightly, he opened the door, and began to move forward.

* * *

The boisterous chatter and proceedings in the great hall of the Sun Palace hushed and died down almost immediately as the two fashionably late entrants entered into view. The guests present found their attention and breaths inadvertently stolen from them by the beautiful spectacle of the royal siblings, the pride of the nation.

One was the bearer of the royal destiny, clad in flowing robes of white, silver and midnight blue and the weight of the crown. Youth, beauty and hope for the future poured forth unbidden, her stature unfettered by her small frame. The other was the protector of the former, a stalwart, a guardian, and most importantly of all, a brother. Tall, steadfast and regal, the strength of his bloodline was evident for all to see and admire within the honoured uniform of black and gold, unchanging, powerful, and resolute.

Although unintended, the two revealed themselves at nearly the same instance, even though they descended the stairwells from the opposing wings of the white palace. The twin jewels of the queendom met at the center of the common stairwell that adjoined the two wings before they continued their descent, their arms and hearts linked without any distance between them.

Upon reaching level ground, the young matriarch and her protector greeted the guests with the highest of decorum before leading the congregation into the throne room. The proceedings commenced smoothly thereafter as one after another, the seven who would henceforth safeguard Falena received their knighthood under the ceremonial blade of the Queen and the blessing of the Sun and the Feitas. The somewhat comical appointment of the nervous Vice-Commander and the celebration of the esteemed services proffered by the three departing Knights marked the end of the ceremony to wild rapturous cheers and applause, as well as the beginning of the dance party.

* * *

The first dance of the night inevitably went to the royal siblings, much to the delight of the guests, Falenan or otherwise. To their credit, they managed the flowing steps of the waltz with the grace and harmony of the kings and queens of old, despite the fact that the young Queen barely made it to her brother's chest. While their waltz was undoubtedly enjoyed by all, the ladies in the hall had their gaze square on the male half of the pair amidsr the dying notes of the court musicians, anticipation rife upon them with regards to the Prince's next dance.

Sensing the expectant looks directed towards her brother, mischief arose in the Queen's eyes as she guided her obliging brother expertly with subtle tugs and sways to one side, stopping just before a beaming Oracle who had caught on just as quickly. Slipping her brother's hand smoothly into her aunt's, the Queen stepped aside snidely while the former rolled his eyes at the predicament his sister had gotten him into. However, his was the lineage of gentlemen, and he could never really refuse that effervescent smile of his aunt.

Since the Prince's current partner was now more proportionate to his build, the experienced court musicians transited into the faster and more challenging quickstep, much to the Prince's chagrin. Nevertheless, seeing his aunt light up at the first notes of her favourite number was telling, and he indulged her accordingly with a majestic twirl, surprising her further with a wickedly debonair look in his eyes. After all, he was really stubborn on the inside and deigned to disappoint. The aunt and nephew glided across the length and width of the floor, wowing the audience with their flamboyant synchrony and spontaneity, teasing and titillating the guests at times with flirtatious flicks and quirks in their expressions. By the time their sterling performance came to its end, the spectators were found wanting for more.

Following the Queen's lead, Haswar led the Prince by hand to his next partner, a certain young noble-lady with chestnut curls that was nudged forward rather conspicuously by the Queen from behind. The surprise and uncertainty in her expression gradually melted away in a shy smile when the Prince offered her his hand just as the tune of a more amicable foxtrot began. While less technical then the previous number, the romantic overtones of the current number were unmistakable, whether it was the fluid lines in their movement, the manner in which their touch lingered or the fondness in the way they beheld each other, making many of the other ladies fan themselves in both envy and resignation.

Mischief might have ran in the royal bloodline as the Prince dragged on the dance a little, surprising the enchanted other slightly as she was twirled lower than she had anticipated, the hem of her satin gown making contact with the polished floor. However, her trust in the Prince did not falter in the least as she allowed herself to be spun gracefully, skimming elegantly across the floor before coming to face the Prince and his outreached hand again. Missing not a single beat, the Prince pulled his partner seamlessly back up before sweeping her right off her feet once more and finishing with a gorgeous dip.

Despite the clear blush sported by the shrinking violet, Luserina was not going to let herself be outdone in terms of playful devilry either, prolonging the Prince's exhibition further despite the quiet pleading in his eyes for her not to do so. The courtier led the Prince to the latest victim of the devious royal saboteurs, although the panicked wild-eyed look did allay any feelings of guilt in its enduring adorability. Not that the purple-haired knight appreciated it much herself. Even the initially reluctant Prince had to smirk at the awkward display his knight was making in just taking his hand and getting into position alone. That smirk eventually turned into an ill-concealed guffaw as his knight made to mimic his position completely, resulting in a humourous situation of the waltz having two male leads.

Embarrassed out of her mind, the flushed knight used her free hand to land a solid punch on the Prince's shoulder before making to flee the floor. She did not manage to get too far though, one of her flailing hands having been caught by her partner and brought into the proper position around his neck. The audience also gave a supportive round of applause for the girl who was more warrior than lady, easing the knight's inhibitions as she settled into a simpler routine with the slow dance. Midway into the dance, she began to calm down enough to try and enjoy the dance, even if all she did was lean against the steady shoulder and allow her partner to coax her along in small circular repetitions. Just as the mood was seeping into her, her sharp ears finally managed to pick up the slight giggles in the air just before she noticed the glaring absence of music.

The red-faced knight practically bounced apart from her Commander, a myriad of expressions crossing her countenance before she threw her hands down and stomped off towards the balcony in a huff. The ever reliable Luserina gave a little nod and followed suit soon after, something that the Prince was rather grateful for. He also took the chance to cast a dirty look at the master of ceremonies, the latter picking up on his signal and announcing the opening of the dance floor to the rest of the guests, effectively pre-empting any further invitations to dance. Heaving a huge sigh of relief, he made his way over to give a piece of his mind to a certain group of royal pain-in-the... behinds.

* * *

"Lym…"

Noticing the accusatory tone in his voice, the abovementioned Queen responded with an unrepentant giggle before trying to act just the slightest bit guilty.

"In my defense, it was better you than me."

"Protecting you from swords and arrows I understand, but dancing isn't in my job description."

"What's wrong with dancing? You were amazing!" chipped in a delighted Haswar. "I can't remember the last time I had a partner as good as you, and that's saying a lot!"

"Aunt Haswar… Luserina and Miakis will be crossed with you two."

"Haha, somehow I doubt it. They know we mean well."

"Hah…"

The Prince sighed deeply, a little exasperated at the female dominance in his family.

"The things I live with…"

"Well, you are the Prince, Prince." commented Kyle unsympathetically.

"Ugh…" groaned the Prince, before a complicated smile shored up the mood on his face. He caught Georg's good eye with a surreptitious glance before adding, "Although… I guess it would make a nice memory."

* * *

"Miakis…"

"Luserina… please don't come any closer…"

The courtier halted just a few steps away from the knight at her request. She just stood there, waiting patiently for her friend, although she wished she brought her shawl with her. The cool night breeze left her shivering intermittently, her satin gown a little too revealing to provide much warmth for the weather. She can't imagine the knight's modified uniform faring any better…

"… good to be you…"

"Pardon me?"

"I said… it must be good to be you…"

Luserina remained silent, her chest tightening despite herself.

"You don't really mean that…"

"Ah… sorry, I wasn't thinking straight… I was referring to being brought up as a lady..."

"Umm…"

"… You two look really good together."

"It was… just a dance."

The knight was startled by the voice of the other girl who had by now gotten just behind her.

"N-No, don't come any closer."

The knight quickly covered her face with both her hands.

"It won't go away…"

Luserina finally realized what the problem was, and moved to embrace the older girl gently, hoping that the cool night breeze would cool both their heads a little.

* * *

The dance party continued well into the night, but as with all parties, it had to end eventually and it did. Everyone had enjoyed themselves to the largest extent possible, which meant everything went according to plan. The new knights were also officially appointed, a new Vice-commander appointed, and the first stage of his many plans for the country well on their way to being realized. The time was ripe.

Steam wafted forth from the personal privy in the former Prince's quarters as a tall silhouette emerged from its archway, tousling his hair with the towel hanging from the top of his head and a small stained glass vial in his free hand. Making his way to the dresser, he looked into the familiar cerulean orbs within for a moment.

_I am…_

Pulling off the towel, a head of flowing rich hazel hair was revealed. The semblance was still there, although much less telling without the distinctive silver strands of the royal bloodline.

_Freyjadour Ardil Falenas…_

A few moments later, the black and gold armour that had become so familiar in the recent few months found themselves folded up neatly atop the linen of the bed. In their place was a dull black ensemble of a simple long-sleeved shirt and dress pants and an inconspicuous earthen hooded coat.

Retracing his steps to the dresser, he pulled open one of the drawers and picked up the pink ribbon that he kept there, a precious memento that belonged to an equally precious other. Raising the ribbon upwards, he threaded it through his now brown locks and tied it into a simple ponytail.

Looking into the dressing mirror once more, he was finally satisfied in his transformation. Gone was the hero of the Queendom, the Commander of the knights and the Prince who could not even protect one. In his place, was a simple traveler, one who was about to begin his journey.

_No longer…_

Picking up the pack of supplies that he had discretely acquired and prepared, he made for the door before pausing in mid-step. Sighing slightly, he returned to the drawer that held his treasures and retrieved another familiar item, a rectangular object with hints of metal and cedar finish, tucking it into a concealed pocket near his heart.

Sweeping his gaze around the familiar room, he bowed once to no one in particular and bade his farewell to his old room, the memories that it held, and the spectre of his past. Without a second look, he exited the door a final time.

_Frey… is moving on._

* * *

Dark boots treaded lightly upon marbled floor as a faint shadow darted in and out of view, cleverly evading the numerous guard patrols protecting the Sun Palace by getting into various blindspots in the security. While it might have been a concern how the guards could be eluded so easily, the deed was not quite as challenging for the one responsible for actually planning the security details to begin with. Thus, the shadowy figure made it to the entrance of the town area of Sol Falena and all the way to the entrance of the docks undetected. However, that was the extent of his luck.

Standing before the vessel that was to take him up the river was the one-eyed knight, as was the arrangement made days ago. However, waiting there together with him were three other rather annoyed-looking women.

"Georg…"

"Sorry, they caught me just as I was leaving."

Sighing once more, the shadowy figure walked sullenly over to face the inevitable music, pulling up just before the shortest, but probably the most explosive of the three women.

"Lym…"

"I can't believe it! How can you even think about leaving without telling me! What kind of a big brother are you?"

"Well… I did leave you a letter somewhere…" answered the Prince sheepishly, scratching the back of his head lightly through the hood.

"A letter? Oh come on! What in the world-"

The protest was cut shot when the hood fell away, revealing the deep hazel hair and the Prince's new appearance.

"..were you thinking… Brother… your hair…"

"We match now. Wanted to do it for the longest time, and now I can."

Before the surprise ended, the Prince swept the young Queen into his arms and hugged her long and tight.

"Do you really have to go?"

"Yes. You need the space to grow into a strong Queen, without my shadow looming over you."

"You sure this isn't about the paper work?"

"I'm sure. You should know it as well. You have as good a mind for politics as I do."

"I'll miss you…"

The Prince pulled back from the hug to give the already tearing little sister an exasperated look.

"And what, you think I won't?"

The young Queen shook her head lightly before going back into cuddle-mode for a few more moments, for good measure. Thereafter, she straightened herself out and faced her older brother once more.

"Luserina."

The said young lady came up to the royal siblings bearing one of the royal family's heirlooms, a familiar orange staff that was currently divided into three segments.

"At least take this with you."

The Prince took a look at the tri-nunchaku before he shook his head, declining it.

"I have no wish to fight anymore."

"But Brother!"

"Don't worry, Georg will be with me. I'll be good and stay out of trouble this time."

"Then, at the very least, take this. Miakis?"

The purple-haired Vice-commander of the knights removed the dark shroud from a previously covered rune bust, revealing the emblem of a familiar rune.

"Lym! I can't take that!"

"That I believe… is up to the rune to decide."

A powerful bluish white light shone forth from the said rune as it left the rune bust on its own accord, affixing itself quite forcefully on the right hand of its former owner, displacing the Rage Rune in the process.

"I had nothing to do with it. The Dawn Rune wants to follow you."

The Prince sighed once more, wondering just how much peace and quiet he will get on his journey after all.

The Queen chose this moment to turn to the two older girls beside her.

"Do you two have anything to say to Brother?"

Luserina and Miakis froze up.

"Or… Brother, do you have anything to say to them?"

"Erm… please take care of my sister in my absence…"

"W-We will."

"P-Please take care of yourself too, your Highness…"

"Ya… have a safe trip Prince…"

The awkward exchange between the three was not missed by the two spectators on the side.

"Oh for crying out loud…" muttered the young Queen under her breath.

"Kissh herr…" coughed the one-eyed knight in a suspicious manner. "Kissh herr yuu chiken…"

The young Queen caught on quickly and went one better with an impish cough of her own.

"Kissh hem bof…"

* * *

A/N: Happy New Year to all.


	5. A Different Tomorrow

A Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 5: A Different Tomorrow

A lone hooded figure stood near the stern of the barge, listening ruefully to the gentle lapping of waves against the side of the boat despite the speed at which the boat was cutting through the river. The faint glow of the Flow rune illuminated the darkened waters under the unlit sky, leaving a blue luminescent trail where the boat had been on the Feitas. Somehow, the lone figure watching the scenes of his homeland melt surreally into the darkness and the mists of the predawn felt much the same way.

He remained that way, coming to terms with the cold realities of his decision amidst the biting chill of the river breeze. That was, until a barely audible protest of the wooden deck creaked out behind him, bringing him out of his melancholy enough for a greeting towards an old friend.

"Georg."

"Hey… having second thoughts?"

"No… it is for the best."

"That so?"

"This coming from the one who suggested it?"

"Ahahaha…ha…"

A dry self-depreciative laughter arose from the one-eyed traveler, a well-worn leather glove rubbing the back of his unruly black hair most gingerly.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I doubt the rest of the country would appreciate me taking their Prince away like this."

"Georg… quit calling me Prince. It kind of defeats the point of traveling incognito."

"Eh? But your full name is a little mouthy."

The dry wit of the older man managed to coax the low rumble of a laugh out of the more morose other. The latter raised his hand up, moving his hood out of the way, allowing the wind to sift through his earthen tresses.

The swordsman did a double take of the young man before him. For a moment there, he saw another in his place. Perhaps that candour and wanderlust did run strong in their blood.

"Georg, call me Frey."

* * *

"Haiz…"

The trail of heady sighs left behind by the young, uncharacteristically befuddled noblewoman raised many an eyebrows as she drifted aimlessly in and out of the hallowed halls of the white palace. It was quite a rare treat, seeing who many considered the most capable administrator in the country actually behave like a girl her age. It was only when a bout of airy, poorly muffled giggles reached her ears that she manage to catch herself.

"Oh no… what was I doing…"

"Thinking about the Prince again?"

"Or did something good happen already?"

"So which is it, Lady Luserina?"

The trio of nosey palace chambermaids nearby could not resist teasing the poor girl, and were hence promptly rewarded by a radiant blush on her lovely features.

"W-What… I-I… don't know wha-… I better be going… now… Ouch! Mmm… Ow!"

"Gek!"

The chambermaids could not resist laughing out this time as the flustered noblewoman first walked straight into a pillar in her hurry to escape their badgering gaze, before pulling back and colliding headfirst with a certain purple-haired knight straight after.

"M-Miakis!"

"L-Luserina!"

Shocked violets and panicked ambers looked once into one another briefly before quickly turning away, each finding the polished floors and marble pillars inexplicably fascinating. That and the fact that their faces were more or less on the verge of combusting into flames sent the cogs of the palace rumour mills into overdrive.

_Suspicious!__ Very suspicious!_

Before anyone else could say a word though, a royal holler from the adjoining corridor made all of them straighten up to full alertness.

"Miakis! Luserina! There you are!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Queenie!"

The young queen promptly stomped her way into view, her usually adorable face a maze of indiscreet annoyance and displeasure. Trailing behind her were two hapless attendants who were desperately trying to balance two towers of files and papers that were swaying haphazardly to the left and right.

"A letter he said! Urgh! A! A letter!"

"Er… erm… wow?"

"Perhaps it's just… long?"

The queen gave her two slightly loopy friends the evil eye before a glimmer of realization shored up her aggravation at their unusual lack of empathy.

"Say… are you two still fretting over last night? I thought I told you two that it was a perfectly normal courtly greeting, a royal thing if you will…"

Before the queen could divulge any more tasty morsels for the palace rumour mills, the two girls had leapt forward and smothered the pair of royal lips with their hands.

"Now Queenie, let's just get down to work, okay?"

"Yes, yes your Majesty. Let's."

Flanking the younger girl on both sides, the Queen's knight and the courtier ushered their employer towards their usual office-chamber with earnest haste. However, the damage seems to have been done.

"Last night!"

"Royal!"

"Very, very suspicious!"

* * *

The trudge of heavy, forbidding footsteps halted some distance beyond the engraved cedar doors before the weighty thumps of numerous heavy trunks heralded the arrival of one most reluctant new resident.

"Master Laden!"

The abovementioned man winced. The whine in that ridiculously sanguine greeting had to be one of the first things he had got to fix. As well as that annoyingly foppish way of running down the stairs… and that little skip and hop at the end as well…

_Ugh… I can feel a headache coming already…_

"Euram."

"Master Laden! Welcome to Rainwall. I had a little trouble believing the dispatch from the capital but now that you are here, it means that it's true, doesn't it! I can't wait to begin my lessons under your esteemed tutelage…"

The lanky blonde noble found a gloved palm shoved discomfortingly close to his face, the curt and blatant method of interruption more than a little disconcerting for his eschewed sensitivities.

"That is enough Euram. First things first, I would like to make it clear that my presence here is not of my own choice or liking. However, I could not find it in me to object to the Prince's wishes and judgment, and thus, here I am. "

The Barrows lord blanched visibly, but managed, to his credit, an awry smile still.

"R-Right… that still, I am glad that –"

"I'm not done Euram."

The younger man gulped at the veteran's stern demeanour.

"And while we're on the topic, I prefer short responses. Within five words would be good, none would be best."

The younger man gulped again and nodded quickly.

"Secondly, my job is here is very clear and specific. I am to train you in the ways befitting of a lord of Falena, and I am authorized to employ any and all methods to that end, questionable or otherwise. Understood?"

"Y-Yes."

"Try again. A lord does not stutter under any circumstance. He should be firm in words and action."

"Yes."

The older man eyed his charge-to-be briefly from the edge of his fir-green fringe before turning abruptly and patted the top of the nearest trunk.

"Very well, lessons shall begin immediately. Carry these trunks to my quarters."

"Ah, of course. I'll just get the servants to…"

The tutor's gloved hand slammed quite severely onto the gestured trunks.

"I am not training your servants."

The face of the young lord fell slightly as realization dawned onto him. With a much needed draw of breath, he composed himself for the task at hand with surprising acceptance.

"I... I understand."

* * *

The morning was forthcoming and pretty much gone by the time the river boat pulled into the docks of Estrise. The port was bustling with activity like before, perhaps more so than ever even, judging from the number of fishing boats and larger shipping vessels of different nationalities that were being loaded and unloaded there. The relaxing of rules regarding foreign vessels and the increase in trading permits seemed to be paying off. Of course, this also posed certain risks, but the security at Estrise and the Covert Ops should be reliable enough to keep that in check.

"Looks like business is brisk as usual." commented Georg with an impressed look. "Your work I presume?"

"Trade is always good for a country. I just gave it a push."

A small commotion a little distance off caught the eye of the modest traveller, prompting him to draw his hood back up.

"Heads up. Boz."

The one-eyed swordsman recognized the huge lumbering man with the unmistakable Mohawk hairstyle easily from afar and braced himself for a slightly over the top, but undoubtedly hearty welcome.

"Gahahaha! Georg! It's been a while!"

The characteristically boisterous laughter belonging to the lord of Estrise seemed to leave the docks quaking in its wake as the man bounded over eagerly. The large man grasped the hand of the swordsman with the strength proportionate to someone of his build and shook it most vigorously.

"Thank you Lord Wilde. It's good to see you as well."

Having done the customary handshakes, Georg and Boz exchanged several more pleasantries before the larger man wrapped his arm most insistently around the one-eyed swordsman neck and harried him into going over to his home for dinner, much to the amusement of the not so innocuous bystander on the side. Unfortunately, the hushed chuckle and the annoyed glare by the swordsman sent the attention of the lord over to the cloaked traveller as well.

"Oh, who do we have here? Hmmm…"

_Rats…_ groaned Georg inwardly. _If Boz finds out, it will be like announcing to the rest of the Queendom that the Prince is leaving…_

To the swordsman's surprise, his young friend moved his hood out of the way of his own accord, leaving his features exposed in plain sight. However, his cerulean eyes seemed to sparkle with an odd mixture of mirth and mischief, as though relishing the thrill of giving the game away. No, there was something a little more to it.

"Hi there, Boz."

The lord of Estrise leaned in and scrutinised the traveller from top to bottom, his eyes wide as saucers for the most part until comprehension crept into a highly animated expression.

"Well I'll be, Roy!"

"Whoa!"

The large man swept the traveller up with an empathic bear hug and squeezed the latter in a hearty greeting as well before putting the fazed man down on the docks.

"Thanks Boz, I was wondering where my ribs went." coughed the young man slightly as he rubbed his sides gently.

"Gahahaha! For a moment there, I thought you were the Prince! But that's impossible! He was at the knighting ceremony last night, and you're not wearing that darn wig of yours! I guess old habits do die hard, eh Bandit Prince?"

"Hahaha… maybe it's just you Boz?" replied the 'Prince' with a dry laugh.

The one-eyed knight sighed in exasperation at the large man's denseness and his young friend's newly acquired taste in ironic humour. It was slightly disconcerting how the latter seemed to have everything planned out from the very beginning, but he did lighten up after a while. It did bring back memories after all.

_Pretending to be the pretender… sounds__ exactly like something you would do, Ferid…_

* * *

The edgy sound of quills scrawling upon numerous parchments and the terse flipping of pages filled the otherwise quiet chambers as the three girls pored over the documents left behind for them by the Prince. From issues such as the strengthening of the armed forces over the western border, diplomacy beyond the Island Nations and Armes and the creation of free trade zones within the Queendom, it was like they were perusing a manual of sorts on how to govern the country. However, as enlightening as it was, it did not make for a particularly entertaining read, as the hazel-haired monarch would soon attest to.

"Alright! That's enough for today."

Miakis and Luserina looked up from their share of the documents with puzzled looks.

"Your Majesty, we're not even halfway through yet."

"Yah Queenie. What are you going for the rest of the day then?"

The young queen stood up and puffed her chest out smugly, feeling rather proud about her decision.

"I'm going to learn how to fight."

"Oh… EH?" went her protectors and friends in a single high-pitched exclamation.

"Your Majesty! I'm sure there's no need for you to… I mean, we have guards, and the Queen's Knights and…" coaxed Luserina gently, looking anxiously at the recently assigned acting Commander of the knights beside her.

"Yah, who do you think is going to teach you anyway?" added the said Commander as well.

"You are."

"Hell no!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not! The Prince will kill me!"

"Miakis, I can always order you to do it you know."

"Order me all you want, but my answer's still no! Luserina! Talk some sense into her!"

"Well…"

A rather unfortunate attendant chose this time to enter the chamber.

"Your Majesty."

"What?"

The young attendant recoiled slightly at the snappiness displayed by the Queen before pressing on with the message she was carrying.

"L-Lady Hazuki requests for an audience."

"Hazuki? Send her in."

"Queenie! We're not through with our argument!" pursued Miakis of the discussion.

"Well, if you won't teach me, I'm sure I can get Hazuki to." retorted the Queen matter-of-factly.

"That is beside the point! Look Queenie, learning to fight is like asking to get beat up. We can't have that! You're the queen for goodness sake!"

"You didn't seem to have a problem with Brother when he was doing it."

"He's a guy!"

"That's just discrimination!"

"Luserina! Say something!"

"Well…"

"Yes, Luserina! Say something!"

"I would if you two would let me…"

"Ah…" went the two bickering ladies lightly.

"Actually… I agree with her Majesty's decision."

"See? You tell her Luserina!" snapped Miakis immediately.

"No fair! You two are just ganging up on me because I'm not as old as you!" retorted the Queen just as immediately.

It was to be five whole seconds of seething pseudo sibling-like rivalry before something clicked in their collective heads.

"Eh?"

"What did you just say, Luserina?"

The before-mentioned noblewoman managed to roll her eyes and sigh in an elegant manner before repeating herself, feeling strangely similar to one of their Island Nations comrades.

"I said, I agree with her Majesty's decision."

"Huh? Why?" asked Miakis in disbelief.

"Ya, what she said."

"Well, I think it's her Majesty's right to decide what she wants to do with her life, including what she wishes to learn. Besides…"

Her hands tightened around the sides of her dress.

"I know how frustrating it is to feel ever so powerless and reliant on others for protection as well. Even if it is just a token measure, I think that having the ability to protect one's self and those dear to them with one's own hands to be quite a commendable desire…"

A short silence befell the three girls before Miakis sighed out this time, having processed that logic-twisting banter of the wiser girl.

"Haiz… that's why I don't like girls that were brought up too well… What am I to do with you people…?"

"Just watch us Miakis, and don't worry so much. My father and brother were both war heroes. At the very least, there has to be some talent in me, right?"

"Haiz… wait… us?" went Miakis, her brows already twitching from her misgivings towards the use of the collective pronoun.

"Luserina wants to learn too right?"

The blonde noblewoman nodded in agreement.

"What? Oh come on!"

As the overly lively discussion continued anew, the hapless attendant and a puzzled lady Queen's Knight stood at the edge of the doorway.

"Did I come at a bad time?"

The attendant just shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

The scrawl of heavy wood grating upon polished tiles finally ground to a halt before beads of perspiration and strained silk finally hit the floor, with a lanky noble following suit. It took a while, but the three wooden trunks were finally moved to the second floor of the Barrows manor. It was still some distance to their intended destination, but it would have to do for the tutor's purpose.

"Catch."

Euram barely had time to react before a long object fell onto him. Looking at his awkward catch with surprise, he couldn't help but ask.

"Master Laden?"

"I am going to test you." said the stern mentor in all seriousness as he unslung his heavy broadsword from his back. "I want to see your resolve for myself."

The younger nobleman unsheathed his blade hastily as the first of several blows by his mentor landed. He managed to evade the first two swings before his attempted parry on the third sent him flying backwards from the sheer impact of the blow.

"C-Can't we talk about this?"

"I thought I already made it clear that it was one of the problems."

Euram brought all the strength in his two hands to work as he fended off two more slashes from the older man, locking blades with the heavy broadsword on the third.

"That's it. Come at me with everything you got. Show me why you fight."

Try as he might though, the gulf between Euram and his mentor was too great. Whether it be their experience with the blade, their time on the battlefield, or even simple physical prowess, the veteran was overwhelmingly the superior. The practice duel would have been over long ago if the latter had not been intent on merely driving Euram to the brink.

"Ugh!" cried Euram painfully as the first of many injuries to come started to mark his slender body.

"I fight for… justice!"

"Pretty words."

A careless swing resulted in a cut along his sides.

"I fight for what is right!"

"Bah!"

A heavy fist landed after a slightly dulled reaction.

"I fight for…"

A futile list of things were plonked one after another into the object of the overused statement, and promptly rebuffed with derision and vehemence. It finally came to the point whereby the tutor's anger had begun spilling over and his charge so bloodied and battered that he could hardly stand.

"Tcheh! What a waste of time! I should just end you now."

The younger man was not even looking at his mentor anymore, his breathing harsh and stance unsteady.

"It's better than having you bring shame to your sister and the princ-"

A flash of silver cut the words short, before a trickle of deep crimson started to stain.

"… That will do Euram"

The falling nobleman collapsed unto the older mentor, the latter's good hand propping up his charge casually even as all strength and consciousness drained away from the former. That last move was actually pretty dumb, not to mention reckless, charging headlong with a desperate lunge, throwing everything he had out there at his opponent. Still…

"That will do."

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!"

The familiar bellow blared right past the lounge and dining rooms and straight into the generous hearth of the manor. The skilful ministrations around several pots and a simmering pot roast halted briefly for hands to be wiped upon a well-worn fabric before the apron was hung on its hook.

"Welcome back dear. How was work-"

The matronly lady of the household froze up when she saw the two guests alongside her spouse, particularly the youngest member among them.

"My…" She blinked hard. "Oh my…"

"Good evening, Mrs Wilde." replied the recipient of her dumbfounded gaze with a fond smile.

"Honey, you remember Georg and Roy don't you?"

The mistress of the house gave her husband a hard look.

"Dear…" she started, before she broke off upon seeing the familiar guest's subtle gesture, a fleeting touch shared between his finger and his lips.

"Say Boz, where's that drink you promised?" interjected Georg most helpfully.

"Shhh! Ah Honey, he meant… tea! The tea we received from Raja a while back!"

"R-Right… your scotch is behind your 'History of Falena in ten thousand words or less' as usual. Not more than two, you hear…" remarked Mrs Wilde offhandedly, not quite recovering from her surprise just yet to play along with her husband.

"She knew…" was all the crestfallen Boz could manage as Georg patted his shoulder, shepherding the large man off to the study with a quick look at his younger companion.

As soon as the two men were out of earshot, the mistress of the house bowed immediatey in deference to her esteemed guest.

"Your Highness…"

The Prince smiled warmly despite knowing that his game was up.

"Mrs Wilde. I knew I couldn't get by you."

"I'm really sorry about my husband…"

The apology was waived away casually, since it was not actually necessary in the first place.

"Boz isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's a good man."

Mrs Wilde nodded in silent agreement before the two of them moved and settled on the lounge chairs.

"Your Highness… you… dressed as such… what are you planning?"

"I'm leaving." replied the Prince easily.

"What? Why?" asked the madam bluntly, before she caught herself of her unbecoming inquisitiveness.

"Lym needs space to grow, without people second-guessing her in favour of my opinions. Falena too. It's difficult for the Queendom to develop when the other nations are wary of me as well. It's a little ironic; that in saving the Queendom, I now pose the greatest threat to our continued prosperity."

"Mmm… that sounds about right… but…" concern shone in the wise woman's eyes as she spoke, the depth of understanding within them surprising even the Prince as well. "That isn't all… is it?"

The Prince was silent for a few long seconds before his smile returned, a little more wry than before with his most recent addition to his appreciation of the word 'Queendom'.

"Hmmm… I was wondering why Boz hadn't run Estrise to the ground…"

Mrs Wilde blushed modestly at the Prince's compliment, but pressed on wordlessly with her query. The latter's smile faded as he composed himself for as honest an answer he could manage.

"I'm afraid… of the darkness."

* * *

The darkness swirled with the night, the light and the half-light as undefined scenes unfolded upon an uncertain time, an indefinite space. Silhouettes seemed to sway as though in an unrelenting wind, the many outlines blurring into one another even in the apparent stillness. The maze of lines and shadows suddenly rose and swirled in intensity as chaos descended upon the scenes with a multitude of movements. New silhouettes emerged from the pitch dark and collided with the existing shadows in the ensuing turmoil, although they eventually broke like waves against them. From the chaotic veil of darkness, lines and particles, two imposing figures appeared out of the shadows, one of pure darkness and the other interwoven with gold and bronze. The two forces tussled and clashed repeatedly, until the maleficent shade overwhelmed the far nobler other…

A strangled gasp tore forth from with the elegant satin sheets, along with laboured heaves and painful exhalations. The ragged breaths developed rapidly into wrecking sobs as the tremors of the dream faded, yet not the reality of its truth.

A familiar glow of amethyst and sapphire sprang into life just a short distance away, an honoured semblance coming into being just as the need was most dire. A faithful friend and mentor, as well as one of the greatest seers and guides, if only for the most troubled of times.

"Lady Leknaat…"

* * *

A/N:

Things are moving along, slowly but surely. I tend to take my time building my stories… it's a guilty pleasure and bad habit of mine, I guess.

My sincere thanks to my dear reviewers; I hope this chapter will fare as well. It would be nice if the reviews were signed so I can reply to you directly, but even if they're not, I would like to show my gratitude here, in particular towards Procyon for his extensive review.

In response to some queries, I'm dealing with a select number of characters here mostly because I am planning to develop them extensively over this series. It is easier to show changes in them over time, if I do so from the beginning. There will be quite a few new characters coming in after the first few teething chapters as well, so their focus may diminish when that happens. All in good time, of course.

With regards to my points of view, I am experimenting a bit with it. I do write from a mixture of inspiration and calculation, so it's a little hard to fit how I see my characters 'move' into prose. That said, my most recent foray is the blurring between third person limited omniscience, third person subjective and first person subjective. It makes it possible for me to transit between the three POVs such that the reader would be able to realize that the omniscient POV is actually borne from the protagonist's experience, which is then fleshed out by tuning into his emotions and psyche. It's a stylistic quirk of mine I guess, since I like for my readers to think as they read, along with ambiguity, contrast and deviation.

Then again, I'm just writing due to my passion for doing so, so do ignore the technical terms if you wish~

I will end off here. Reviews are welcome as always.

That, and may everyone have a Happy Lunar New Year.


	6. The Line of Kings

A Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not for any profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 6: The Line of Kings

In the dead of the night, the pallid glow of the moon waned most piteously with the passing of an ominous shroud, wisps of dense miasma enveloping the skies as a festering darkness spread across the darkened waters of the languid river. The shadows of gnarls and leaf-crowned timber fell deep yet restless as the bite of metal upon steel echoed from the ancient palisade, the last rightful bastion before the alien darkness entered the domain of the Deepwoods.

The metallic ring of curved sabres and the lethal whistle of mithril arrows met their marks as the proud defenders of the woods made good their last stand, felling many of their infernal foes. Yet, their numbers were now few against the tide of the invaders, an unholy alliance of savage men and the demonic horde that walked in plain sight alongside them. Nevertheless, the valiant few rallied time and again, deigning despair for valour and purpose in battle.

Just as the horde faltered just the slightest in the face of their fervent resistance, half a dozen heavily armoured figures of alien makes revealed themselves from the mindless minions. An armoured foe of dark midnight and a helm of blood-dyed horns stepped out eagerly into the fore, followed by two darkened shades of demonic origin. Maniac laughter curdled the blood of the remaining defenders as the black knight led the charge, his heavy two-handed blade cleaving a bloody path through both friend and foe alike that stood in their way. What remained of the woodland resistance all but crumbled under the ferocity of the formidable onslaught, as the battle transgressed into a one-sided massacre.

A shrill whistle soon pierced through the frigid night air, causing prominent ears to prick up and take notice. With due reluctance despite the prudence of the call, the surviving defenders grudging relinquished their ground, taking the battle past the old fort and into the woods. Yet, the retreat would not have been possible had the enemies' champion not been held up quite admirably by one of their own. However… the price of valour would prove to be quite severe indeed, as the half-impaled greatsword would attest.

"Prince Riven!"

* * *

The ghostly spectre of the unseeing guardian needed not her sight to feel the weight of the raking gaze set upon her, the search of frantic hope from the pupil she had come to care for despite her better judgment. Stilling herself against her wayward emotions, her stoic front and cool composure faltered not the least despite the unfortunate role and duty she was to carry out; as the portent of ills to come.

"He… fell."

The soundless scream that ripped forth from the distraught female never made it past more than a strangled gasp, the cry having been quite forcibly caught in her throat through desperate effort. Grief was a luxury not accorded to those in power, especially in times as dire and trying as this. Still, despair loomed, if only because they knew.

"Then all is lost… with the Tenkai fallen… the gathering will fail…"

A brief silence ensued, neither of them willing to speak of harsh realities.

"No… it is too early to tell… There may still be hope." said the blind seer absently after some time, her mind straddling between the present and a clairvoyant trance. "The stars are on the move… there might yet be a miracle… there… I see it… a light is flickering from the east… the possibilities… Watch the east…"

The woman stepped into the faint moonlight and nodded, revealing a disposition far too youthful for an aged soul.

"If that is where our hope lies."

The ghostly image of the Executor of Balance began to flicker as the astral projection waned from the strain of prolonged usage. There was little time, but with far too much left to be said. Few would have expected the ancient watcher to be awkward like this.

"I will do what I can to expedite the process… Elle… No… Queen Ellesime, until then… the defences must hold…"

Stowing her unshed tears and hurt aside, determination, life and purpose returned to luminescent cyan irises as the Queen of the Realm of Trees gave her irrevocable word, not just to the fading visage of her mentor, but to all that had fallen this night as well.

"They will hold."

* * *

"_I am afraid of the darkness."_

Cerulean pupils stared unblinkingly at the dimmed mahogany carvings on the ceiling of the spacious guest room, his mind drifting surreptitiously away to the mnemonic sea of his thoughts, despite sleep itself being far from forthcoming.

His own honest confession perturbed him. He had always known it. Ever since the day he first took up arms in Rainwall. Ever since he first spilled blood that was not his own. Ever since blood that was not his own was spilled over him. Ever since Lyon… he had known it but he had not been able to do anything about it. It had become easier and easier, almost like a habit that was drenched into his very marrow, even if it had really only been two short years since. He had been mindful of it, to the point where he thought it poignant not to travel armed, even if it went against any known common sense.

The young man raised his gloved fist, inspecting it lazily as though it was an odd curio rather than one of his own appendages.

"I really am just running away, aren't I…?"

Putting his hand down, he reached across for the modest night-light on the dresser before he caught himself in the mirror, a reflection that he had appropriated from one similar yet dissimilar to himself.

"Roy…"

He smiled wryly before rubbing the side of his chin gingerly out of habit. It was not often that a prince was privy to the enraged right hook of a bandit, much less a thorough beating that took quite some explaining. However, it was even rarer for the former to be thankful for it.

"_You __frigging son of a bitch! How could you let Lyon die! I trusted you with her! You piece of shit! Get up! I'm not through with you yet! Get up so I can make you wish you were the one that died instead!"_

"_Roy! You're going to kill him!"_

"_So what? Let go Faylen!"_

"_Yes… let go Faylen… it makes no difference…" _

"_What!"_

"_Not one day passes that I don't wish it was me… if you have it in you, do it."_

"_You shithead!"_

"_Ugh!"_

"_If you dare to waste Lyon's life just to die like some flea-bitten mutt, I will drag you all the way back from hell and kill you again!"_

"_Roy! You're not making sense! Stop it! He will really d…"_

It was probably a good thing that he passed out there and then. That, and the fact that Faylen managed to smuggle Roy out of the city somehow, with all the castle guards out in force and all. Still, he was grateful to the fiery young man in many ways.

"It will be fine if I find a good enough cause, right Roy?"

* * *

"Ah-choo!"

The inopportune sneeze woke the hazel-haired youth up with a small start and a short bout of shivers. It would appear that the biting night breeze had somehow found a way past the canvases and chilled the interior of the small caravan some time in the night. The fact that Faylen had managed to curl the woollen blanket they shared around her did not help either. Feeling strangely irritated for some reason, the young man decided to forgo what was left of his rest and made for his shift.

"Yo."

"Hey Roy, you're already up? It's not quite your turn yet."

The gangly young man yawned deeply and stretched out the kinks in his body before he replied.

"It's too cramped in there for me to rest anyway. Why don't you switch with me so you can get some…"

Roy took a second look at the large boy with the reins.

"You know what, never mind. Why don't you just keep me company Faylon? How much further do we have to go anyway?"

"We are passing into Armes now. We should hit the first town by evening."

"That so…"

The young man turned to take one last look at his homeland and bade leave of his memories of it before facing forward, keeping his gaze squarely on the small procession of caravans of his acting troupe, and the dawn that was breaking before him once more.

* * *

A set of heavy leather boots found itself tapping impatiently atop the planks that made up the docks for the large sea-faring vessels. He knew well enough how mercurial his young charge had become after shedding his royal baggage. Yet he just had to go get himself wasted with Boz's personal collection last night, thus his current situation; hung over, late for his ride and, with the Prince out of his sight for the better part of the morning. The one-eyed swordsman could have added more descriptions of his current predicament if he was not jolted out of his annoyance by a loud thump, a heavy sack having been quite unceremoniously dumped just beside him.

"Hey Georg."

"'Hey Georg?' What the- Where the hell have you been?" growled the still annoyed man irately, having tried his best not to yell and draw more attention to the two of them.

"Hey, don't go biting my head off! It's not my fault you were as drunk as a skunk. Mrs Wilde and I couldn't wake you no matter what we did earlier, so I thought I go make some preparations for the journey. "

The swordsmen's gaze narrowed.

"What preparations?"

* * *

"Haiz…"

The loud crack of wood upon wood reverberated repeatedly alongside the heady beat of heavy breathing and high-pitched voices within the high marbled ceiling of the makeshift training hall. The sound of warriors-to-be so keen and hard at work should gladden the hearts of any instructor, but for the reluctant one present… it only made her try to drown out the noise with her sighs.

"Haiz…"

The lady knight sitting on an overturned table rested her cheek further on the base of her palm, still not quite ready to take her watchful eye off the two novices. She didn't really want to admit it, but the two of them had quite the talent, especially since it was just their first day at it. Then again, even that was really an understatement, considering she had specifically pulled Hazuki aside that day and requested in her capacity as Vice-Commander no less for the most challenging kata and basic exercises she could come up with, hoping it would put the two off after a while. On hindsight though, that was really uncalled for… it turned out that Hazuki had a problem understanding the concept of 'holding back' after all.

"Haiz…"

_Really… life is so unfair…__ even though they're still a little rough around the edges… they're doing a routine that would have taken me weeks to perfect on their first try…_

"Miakis! How is my form so far?"

"It's fine Queenie. Just keep your movements quick and compact. You too Luserina, your swing is too wide."

Despite her initial misgivings, she couldn't help but get fired up by how engrossed her two charges were with their training. Suffice to say, it made her hand itch a fair bit as well.

_I better work harder too.__ I'll be quite a pathetic Queen's Knight if the Queen turns out to be stronger than me. I wonder if Roog is free later to spar with me…_

* * *

"Phew…"

The one-eyed swordsman whistled his appreciation of his young charge's 'preparations' rather offhandedly, himself quite intent to enjoy the powerful sea breeze that ran through his dark raven-esque hair. The constant flap of the sails in the powerful trade winds was a little grating on his ears, but the exhilaration of the ride and the nostalgic taste of sea salt more than compensated for the experience.

He really had to hand it to the Prince… no, Frey; instead of the more modest cargo vessel he had bought passage on, the boy had proven himself resourceful enough to get them on board a triple-mast Gaien clipper. While the absence of the Island Nations flag was some cause for concern, with the large sea-faring vessel's nine-sail array and the ease with which the ship was surging through the choppy waters, things should turn out fine in the end. They would also be able to keep to his original schedule and reach Nirva Island by the day's end. It wouldn't do to keep that man waiting for too long after all. Who knows what would happen if that particular mind was left idle for too long.

All in all, everything seemed perfect… except for one little detail.

"Good grief… there was a reason why I chose a slower ship you know." said Georg with an ill-concealed smirk.

"S-Shut up Georg… mmrrraggghhh…"

It might be a little cruel, but it was good to know that even the Prince wasn't infallible all the time. He seemed more human that way.

* * *

"Captain…"

"Hmm…?"

"Is… is this really a good idea?"

"Of course it is!"

"Erm… but…"

"Look, the ship's not flying the flag right? That means she's fair game!"

"But…"

"Besides, she's still napping, isn't she? You can go wake her if you want…"

"N-No! Anything but that!"

"Then it's decided then! Savvy?"

"I don't know…"

"Oh come on Sieg, live a little. You're the first mate right? You're supposed to support me!"

"Hah…"

The bronze trimmings on the spyglass clicked lightly into place as it retracted back into its more compact form. The viewing instrument was quickly stowed away in a hidden pocket in favour for a triangular hat that was plonked quite snugly unto a head of wavy russet hair.

"Weigh anchor! Hoist the main sails! Bring out the Jolly Roger!"

A jet-black flag with scarlet cutlasses crossed against a rust-red skull billowed out proudly in the wind.

"It's been a while, but we're going hunting!"

The excited crew let out a raucous roar of approval before it was rather hastily and unceremoniously hushed up, with wary and panicked eyes dead fixed on the captains' cabin.

"I just know we're gonna regret this…" sighed the henpecked first mate resignedly.

* * *

A smattering of purple and bluish white particles of light tinkled and swirled before a larger confluence of light burst into being, illuminating the otherwise unlit room with its surreal jewelled light. The ethereal visage of the blind seer emerged in the centre of the astral projection once the particles of light had calmed down.

For a moment, the sightless woman looked suitably confused. It was to be a while before she spoke up.

"I know you're there."

She remained motionless for a while longer before she turned abruptly towards several stacks of jars, jugs and overturned flasks of wine. It was probably fine and well that she had neither her physical sense of sight and smell with her, although the fact that she was appearing in a tavern room that seemed thoroughly trashed probably did not escape her. Then again, it probably was a norm in Kanakan anyway.

"Your assistance is required."

Silence once again. This time, a frown appeared on the image of the blind woman.

"The world needs you."

This time, a groan sounded from under a particular mound made up of wine jugs, empty bottles of rum and abandoned wine bowls.

"Since when does it not?"

The seer's frown became slightly more pronounced.

"Do you not care about the children you left behind?"

"They are old enough to take care of themselves."

"Riven is dead. At the very least, Ellesime needs you."

Another bout of silence. The ghostly apparition of the seer began to flicker soon after.

"Well?"

"Fine… but I need to go run an errand first."

"Don't be long then…" uttered the seer just as her projection faded back into particles of jewelled light.

A black and scarlet glove emerged from the clutter of alcohol containers and felt about itself for a while before it found its mark, raising a still half-filled bottle of Kanakan brandy straight into the air. Tilting the bottle around, the outstretched hand emptied the contents of the bottle lazily into a waiting mouth before flinging the bottle straight against the opposite wall, shattering it into pieces.

"Sorry Haia… I hate to drink and run, but we have to decide the victor another time." apologised the owner of the abovementioned hand, most likely to the still plastered other in the room.

"Duty calls."

* * *

A/N:

Exposition time… the first few chapters were meant to set up the scenario, and now I can do my exposition properly. It might be a little ambitious, but I have already thought up quite a few plots and subplots, so I will take my time weaving them into my tale.

Reviews are always welcome, constructive or encouraging ones preferred of course.

Lastly, my best wishes for the people of Japan. Gambatte.


	7. The Immortal Grishend

A Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not for any profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 7: The Immortal Grishend

A set of heavy footsteps paced back and forth on the weathered cobblestones while a head of wizened hazel rose once every so often to peer at the fast approaching twilight in the horizon beyond the busy port. A small company of marines in cyan and orange lined a cordoned off section of the docks where the Lino En Kuldes and a less conspicuous Island Nations frigate berthed alongside her in wait. However, patience never was a virtue of the strong Island Nation blood within his veins.

Testament of that came soon enough when he stopped quite abruptly in the midst of his pacing, stood still as though in thought, before his body turned and gained a more definitive purpose in the direction of his vessel.

"And where do you think you're going, Admiral?"

That chiding, sceptical tone of his second in command from just a short distance behind him deflated some of the wind in the senior man's sails. Nevertheless, he had always been quick to change directions and go with the flow as well.

"Well," the large man turned around and accorded the younger commander with that odd quirk of his bushy brows, something the latter had long associated with mischief and his habitual mind games. "You don't seriously expect my patience to last any longer, do you?"

The younger commander stared at him intently for several moments before heaving another of her trademark sighs. She had gotten quite used to the man after all these years.

"No… I suppose not. What do you have in mind?"

The older man beamed and laughed heartily as he disclosed his plans.

"I'll just go for a spin or two around the nearby islands."

The younger commander's brows narrowed.

"In the Lino En Kuldes?"

"Why, of course! It's my ship, ain't it?" stated the man quite matter-of-factly.

"No! You'll just rile up the pirates hiding at the nearby coves and cause another mess! A mess that I will no doubt have to clean up for you! Again!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I doubt a few salted sea dogs would be much of a threat. Besides, it's not like there is another warship conveniently nearby that I could commandeer…"

The older man let his words trail as he drifted his gaze towards the frigate that was docked beside his own.

"Hell no! That's MY ship!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Guess I have no choice but to take the Lino En Kuldes then!"

The younger commander weighed the merits of taking over the task and cleaning up his mess in a flash before deciding it with a no-contest.

"Oh forget it! I'll handle this myself! You just stay here and keep out of my way!" said a well-practised option.

"Sounds good to me! Thanks, Bern! I'm looking forward to your return then! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" said a well-practised response.

With her forehead twitching not so surreptitiously and more out of habit than anything else, the young commander sighed as she made her way towards her ship, muttering under her breath.

"Damn… I played right into his hands… again…"

"Captain Egan, your orders madam?"

The youngest commander of the current Egan generation immediately shook off her melancholy in favour of purpose, and put on her proverbial captain's cap.

"Prepare to set sail immediately."

* * *

The monotone consisting of the faint scratching of a tired quill and the frequent flickers of numerous parchments was broken quite mercifully the quiet clinks of several porcelain teacups and plates laden with afternoon tea.

"It's time for tea, your majesty."

The said queen's face lit up at that prospect and all but leapt to her feet.

"Perfect! I was looking forward to this."

Luserina was looking rather expectantly at the marmalade scones that she had spent the afternoon baking when the little Queen walked right past her.

"Your majesty?" asked Luserina in query, already wondering if the scones didn't turn out as well as she thought.

"Where's Miakis? We can use tea-time for a quick sparring session."

"Again?"

"Of course, come along too Luserina."

The little matriarch was going to march straight through the corridors, yelling for Miakis like what she would normally do, when a timely reminder arrived via her faithful courtier, as always.

"Erm… your majesty, Lady Miakis left for Stormfist this morning. The graduation ceremony for the first batch of recruits takes place tomorrow, so she has to be there in place of the Prince."

"Oh right…" recounted the queen belatedly. Her energy level deflated quite significantly at the loss of a rare opportunity to practise, plonking herself quite resignedly on one of the luxuriously cushioned seats by the small coffee table. "I don't suppose anyone else in the Queen's Knights is available…"

"I'm afraid not." coaxed Luserina gently while placing a few scones on a small plate. "It may not be my place to say it, but aren't you a little too preoccupied with weapons training? I mean, with all the other work that needs to be done…"

"Oh come now Luserina, you enjoyed it as much as I did. Remember that spar we had against Miakis a few days ago?"

"Your majesty! You promised not to bring that up!"

"Hahaha, I'm sorry. It's just so hilarious, the way we managed to take down Miakis by sitting on her and tickling her till she gave up. Man, you even straddled her-"

"Your majesty!"

The two girls looked at each other before they broke into girlish giggles, much like what normal girls their age would do, before they partook in a piece of their scones and its rich, tangy, yet bitter-sweet goodness.

"Oh, the scones are quite wonderful Luserina."

"Oh yes, I'm pleasantly surprised myself."

"I bet Brother would love it. He doesn't take to sweets that much, but I'm quite sure this would agree with him…"

"I-is that so…?"

The young queen sighed a little when the topic of his much beloved brother came up. Again.

"I wonder what he's doing right now. He had better not be setting up some strange flags and flirting with some random hussy…"

"I hope so too…"

"Huh, did you say something Luserina?"

"N-No. Not at all…"

"…"

"…"

"Say… these won't make us fat would it?"

A series of loud clangs echoed in the marbled room as a small fork was dropped rather carelessly by a startled revelation.

Concerns about weapons training looks set to be a lot less common now perhaps.

* * *

(line break)

"Georg…"

The tentative greeting and the sound of unsteady footsteps trudging up the stairwell to the deck caught the attention of the former knight, bringing an end to the pleasantly idyllic chat he was having with one of the crewmen. As the somewhat ghastly-looking younger man took some time to half-stumble his way towards him, the swordsman received a small paper bag from the crewman, to which he thanked with a hearty shake of hands.

"You look… better?" winced the older man at the painful looking Prince before him. "Erm, how are you feeling now?"

"Charming…" replied Frey weary sarcasm, assuming a more or less doubled-up position with his head kept lowered from the ceaseless nausea. "I tried using the Dawn Rune, but the effect only lasted for an instant."

"Ah… I see… in that case…"

The paper bag made a little rustling sound before two beige tablets were dropped onto the younger man's hand. Looking at the expectant look on Georg's face and the dodgy colour of the tablets, he shrugged and popped tablets into his mouth. He regretted that almost immediately as he was greeted by a stinging, spicy taste that emanated from the potent remedy. Before he could barf though, he found a gloved hand cover his mouth almost immediately.

"Chew. Thoroughly."

Not really wanting to barf, and swallow back whatever was coming out, Frey did not have much of a choice and chewed as instructed, enduring that pungent, unfamiliar flavour before letting it go down all the way.

"Bleargh!" was the first thing Frey spat out before going into a series of coughs. "What was in the world was that?"

"Concentrated extracts of a local spice called ginger. How do you feel now?"

Surprisingly enough, the nausea that had been plaguing him for most of journey so far had lessened quite significantly after he downed the offensive remedy.

"Better…" admitted the younger man grudgingly, the foul aftertaste of the spice lingering in his mouth still.

"Good. Now, try chewing on this."

Frey gave the few blades of leaves a highly sceptical look before putting it into his mouth and chewing upon them quite… gingerly. A cooling refreshing sensation promptly swept past the foul aftertaste of the earlier spice and almost quite literally breathed a breath of fresh air into seasick man. Mints.

"Better. Much better." repeated Frey, with more life in him this time.

The one-eyed swordsman heaved a sigh of relief before giving his younger charge a dirty look.

"Good grief. What happened to that Island Nation blood of yours? Even if you are only a half..." stated Georg of his grouses as he dropped the bag of the remedy on a certain princely head.

"That's what I would like to know too..." muttered Frey under his breath as he reached up, removing the bag of seasickness remedy and placing it inside his tunic, undoubtedly within easy reach.

Having artificially induced his sea legs, Frey managed to straighten his body, and hold that upright posture for the first time since boarding the ship. Looking out towards the vast expanse that was the sea, he was finally able to relax in the sea breeze in companionable silence with his friend and mentor for a few moments.

"So… who are we meeting in Nirva Island?" came the inevitable question however, now that the distraction posed by the swirling ground and the urge to throw up breakfast, lunch and last night's dinner subsided.

"Hmm… some of your relatives I suppose…" answered Georg in a cryptic manner.

"I have relatives?" asked Frey in surprise. As far as he knew, his extended family only included his aunts and to a lesser and indignant degree, the Barrows and Godwins. His blood chilled and his eyes narrowed at the thought of having to deal with another "family crisis". Somehow, familial issues take on whole new dimension for the young man after all.

"On your father's side. Since we have time and all, I thought you would like to visit them. Well, they sure are looking forward to seeing you again."

"Again?"

"Ah… erm… well…"

Before the conversation could continue and the slip examined however, an ominous call sounded from the crow's nest.

"Unidentified ship off the starboard bow!"

* * *

A flurry of activity erupted after the initial warning from the lookout; the captain of the ship rushed out from the bridge with a brass spyglass in hand while the deckhands busied themselves and distributed their Gaien steel, their hands tight upon their grips. Although the majority of the passengers were advised to stay within their cabins, an uneasy silence befell the few who remained on the deck as rumours flickered and began to smoulder.

"Hmm… it looks to be a black schooner…"

"It's not even half the size of our ship!"

"We have more sails than it. Surely we can outrun it."

"We have plenty of sword-hands too. We can beat them in sheer numbers if it comes down to that."

Intriguing though the experience was, Frey resisted the urge to inch forward for a closer look like one of the common folk and just surveyed the scenes unfolding before him with just the barest sign of anticipation.

"Pirates?" whispered the young man to Georg discretely.

"Hmm…" went the more experienced traveller speculatively. "Well, there certainly are pirates active in these waters… the question would be which group of them will be brazen enough to attack a large ship such as ours…"

The answer came soon enough as the Captain lowered his spyglass with a look somewhere in between shock and disbelief. "It's the Grishend."

Whispers of the pirate vessel's name immediately swept through the crewmen in a curious rustle of awe and trepidation. A stern look from their captain quickly hushed them up though before they were set to task, part of them evacuating the passengers below the decks while the majority readied themselves for battle.

"What's the Grishend?" asked Frey offhandedly while Georg assured a crewman that they could handle themselves.

"A relic from the Kooluk-Island Wars, it's the ship of the Pirate Queen Kika who once ruled the five seas around the Island Nations. Rumour has it that there were connections between the Pirate Queen and the ruling En Kuldes family, but that's anyone's guess… well, pirates are pirates I suppose."

"Hmm… wait, that means…"

"Yes… the Grishend is almost two hundred years old. Yet, only the Lino En Kuldes has been able to give it a run for its money. She's pretty amazing if you ask me, that a relic could equal the latest naval technology. The Immortal Grishend, it may be a pirate ship but that's a true man's romance right there."

"I guess. That was educational."

The one-eyed swordsman eyed his travelling companion warily, especially his lack of tension with the inevitable battle at hand.

"Why don't you take one of those Gaien sabres?"

"Erm… I don't think so…"

"Now's not the time to be stubborn…"

"I'm on vacation."

* * *

The Gaien clipper sliced through the water powered by the south-west wind and its nine large sails, but the sleek black ship surged through the water with unnatural velocity as well. As the pursuing ship gained ground and almost drew level with the much larger vessel, the captain of the Gaien clipper swung the ship hard to starboard in an attempt to shake the black ship off, causing cargo and men alike to sway and tumble.

However the pursuing ship took the brief moment where the two ships were lined up to fire several large chained hooks from their four black ballistae on their deck. The two of the projectiles slammed into the body of the Gaien's clippers port side while the other two hit their mark and hooked themselves to two of the main masts. Before long, a flurry of mooring lines and grappling hooks completed the capture of the Grishend's prey while the ship drew alongside.

"Battle stations!"

(line break)

"Ugh…"

Frey rubbed the back of his throbbing head as he sought to get back to his feet. The sudden turn had taken him by surprise and threw him against the side of the railings. His travelling companion fared a little better as he had managed to stay on his feet and had his sword out of its sheath, ready for action.

"Try not to die. Dying due to stubbornness is plain dumb."

"…"

"Your sister would be crossed with you."

"…"

"Not to mention Haswar, Luserina, Miakis-"

"Fine…" replied Frey reluctantly despite his inherent misgivings and unease. He had wanted to avoid fighting if he could for a while, but the sound of clashing steel was closing in. The fight had started to spill over from the pirates' initial landing party and there wasn't any time to dwell on this. He stooped down and picked up a random pole that had been rolling against his boots.

"This would do."

* * *

It had been no more than mere minutes since the pirates had stormed on board the clipper but the battle was already swinging in their favour. Despite the numerical advantage the Gaien crewmen had, the pirates were highly skilled in comparison and unorthodox in their fighting methods. Furthermore, the invaders were boarding far too quickly through the use of the ships' riggings and swinging lines. The tide of the ship-borne invasion seemed neigh impossible to stem by the fast-thinning Gaiens.

Well, it was probably fortunate that they had two former Queen's Knights on board though.

"Gwwah!"

The gruff cry trailed behind the flash of the swordsman's katana as it cut a swathe past a slew of pirate invaders. In a smooth unbroken motion, the blade revolved around through a deft turn of his wrist and was returned to its sheath as its one-eyed user went back to his stance.

"What is this guy…?" wondered some of the pirates they backed away warily, recognising the calm yet solemn gaze that only an exponent of the sword would have.

Guarding the swordsman's back was a certain young man with a simple brown ponytail. With an easy, casual stance, he seemed to be twirling around his long pole rather randomly at first glance, but the moment a trio of pirates tried to overwhelm him, the pole was thrust straight forward like an arrow, connecting with the solar plexus of the first pirate. With the first pirate doubled up, the young man held the pole with both hands and slammed it down on the second pirate's foot, breaking several toes in the process. After which he switched one hand to an end of the pole and bent it sharply. The whip-back after he released his grip sent the length of wood flying out like a missile and caught the third pirate square in the face, bloodying it in a strange clothsline of sorts.

The rebounding pole was caught quite deftly by the young man and twirled casually around his body again before settling into that deceptively easy stance once more, daring another attempt like that. Not many were baited this time though.

The Gaien soldiers took the chance to rally themselves during the timely intervention and were soon reassembled just behind the two unexpectedly skilled fighters who were lending them a hand, or perhaps a sword and pole. The two sides were lined up against one another, all ready for another all-out battle, although… logically speaking, not many were keen to shed blood in a senseless war of attrition here.

"What a predicament you've gotten us into you mangy curs!" bellowed out a hearty yell as the top of an overly fluffy triangular hat bobbed up and down within the ranks of the pirates.

"Mangy curs?" asked Frey with a quirk of his brows.

"Pirate talk. Means idiots or incompetent oafs." replied Georg curtly. At the inquiring look he received, he added "Don't ask."

The fluffy feathers on the triangular pirate's hat came into view soon enough, together with the surprising entrance of she who wore it. Standing at a head or so lower than most of her crew, long vermillion locks unrestrained by her captain's hat framed a fresh-faced teenage girl, no older than sixteen at best. An elegant pair of twin sapphiric blades hung from her belt, beneath a thick velvet coat of midnight-blue that could easily make one sweat just by looking at it. A frilly turquoise tunic, a scandalously short lily-white skirt and thigh-high boots completed the look of a highly unlikely pirate save for that fervent, passionate gaze that seemed to relish the magnitude of the occasion, the same gaze that her pirates sport.

Strutting her way in front of her crew, flanked by a tall young man with particularly disheveled dark hair, the pirate girl did a rather theatrical curtsy before assuming a near maniacal grin.

"Pirate Queen Rika, at your service."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I have had this lying around for the longest time and now I've finally completed it. It has been a while since I last worked on a piece, and it truly hit home that this is what I love to do. It would be great if I could do this professionally, but that's for the future.

I'm having some problems with the line breaks here though. They keep disappearing on me, like the earlier chapters. If anyone knows why it's happening, do let me know.

As for my stories, more pieces will come, though more frequently next year though. I'll be taking a break from work and explore my options for work then.

Happy reading~

Oh, and reviews are very welcome~ I'm always looking to improve on this~


	8. Darkness Rising

A Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not for any profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 8: Darkness Rising

Desperate gasps and the heavy trudge of tired feet pressed forth and broke through a particularly dense wall of shrubbery mere moments before the steel-lined hooves of a chestnut mare in full canter followed suit, leaving a desolate trail of behind scattered leaves and snapped twigs in their wake.

The prolonged chase continued through several clearings of the dimming woods although it really should have ended much sooner. It was as though the mounted pursuer was toying with its prey, if not for the faint whizzing of periodic bolts that whistled through the air, forcing his mark to dart this way and that in order to survive. The one-sided affair lasted for a while longer before a gross misstep in the waning twilight caused the prey to tumble down a short slope in a whirl of soiled white and grimy platinum blonde.

The last slivers of the evening light that filtered past the canopy of the forest careened off the tempered steel tip of a primed quarrel, as well as the panicked amber orbs that stared anxiously at the mounted pursuer, or more specifically the loaded crossbow that was pointing straight at him.

"M-Master Laden!"

The former commander of the Dragon Calvary kept the crossbow trained at his scrawny ward before he moved to lower it. Just as the latter was in the midst of his laboured sigh of relief however, the older man raised the weapon once again and fired without any hesitation. Fortunately for the younger man, the bite of the quarrel found the moist earth where he was laying just a half-second ago instead of flesh and bone.

"Master Laden! That was too close!"

Hidden under the fast-lengthening shadows of the forest and the hood of his long black cloak, the strict mentor stole a barely perceptible smirk of approval before he stowed it away. He had just shot a crossbow at near point-blank range, and his young charge was able to react quick enough to throw himself aside at the nick of time. The thorough beating that he had administered over the course of the last two months seemed to have awakened something within the Barrows boy, a faint glimmer of something akin to survival instincts perhaps. Still, he was still a work in progress, and it was about time to work him hard again.

"A lord should always have intimate knowledge of his land. Do you have any idea where we are?"

"I-erm…" the disheveled nobleman took a quick glance around his surroundings, but could find nothing even remotely familiar, other than the numerous oak trees and various bushes that peppered the area. Craig sighed at hearing the hardly unpredictable response.

"We're fifteen miles south of Rainwall." answered the older man a little off-handedly as he pulled his reins gently to the right, bringing his mare into a light trot in that direction.

"Erm… is that so…?" said Euram uncertainly, although he did move to follow his mentor despite his aching and fatigued body.

A short distance later, the master and student combination entered a new clearing, a small parcel of land joined to a sheer rock cliff that faced a wide expanse of still water.

"To be exact, this is Lake Sophia. The next stage of your training will take place here."

"H-here?" Euram looked at his surroundings once more. "But… there's nothing here."

"Oh right… here."

The trainer threw a long flax bundle that landed with a heavy thud just before the young nobleman.

"Your task is to live within these woods. In other words, survive. I will come back for you… eventually."

Euram could only gape at his mentor's latest instruction, his jaw hanging so low from disbelief that it might soon dislocate itself from his cheekbones.

"Ah, before I forget, make five hundred swings a day with that as well." added Craig in a matter-of-factly manner before he turned his mount around. "I'll be seeing you later Euram. Much later."

"M-Master Laden! Master Laden!"

The young nobleman's subsequent cries fell upon deaf ears as his mentor brought his mount into full gallop, disappearing into shadows of the dark forest once more.

Alone in the clearing with a growing tide of dread, Euram quickly tore into the flax bundle, revealing what seemed to be a heavy steel sword. He unsheathed the heavy blade and discovered the reason for its weight; not only was the blade at least twice as wide as his previous sword, it was almost three times thicker, with a single cutting edge. Thankfully, the sword was only as long as the ones that he was used to, but the thick and wide blade made it feel relatively shorter.

Despite the small assurance that the unwieldy weapon brought, an even greater fear of the unknown gnawed at him from the inside. Or perhaps that was just the first of his many hunger pangs to come.

"What else could go wrong…?"

A faint rumble in the distance answered the question quite soon enough.

* * *

The stunned silence that followed the overly theatrical arrival of the self-named Pirate Queen continued for a tad longer than what one would expect before faint murmurs buzzed through the ranks of the Gaien crewmen. Even Frey was somewhat surprised by the turn of events, although he seemed just as amused as well. His was a fickle mood at present, caught between the two, yet disturbingly distant from the weight of the situation. Georg on the other hand, was Georg.

'Well then, Pirate Queen is it? What would you have your pirates do?" addressed the swordsman calmly while assessing the unexpected leader of the pirates with his uncovered eye. "These men and us will fight to the death if need be."

"Tsk tsk tsk… what's the fun in that? It is always more interesting when the prey is given a fighting chance." admonished the young pirate captain of the swordsman decades her senior with a slender, flitting finger. "How about we decide this with a proper duel? If we win, we will take what we fancy from your ship, no questions asked. If you win, we will leave your ship alone immediately. Savvy?"

"And if we don't agree to the terms?"

"We'd scuttle the ship of course. I've always wanted to scuttle a ship. Haven't you, boys?"

The pirate crewmen were caught off-guard for a second, but roared their agreement to their captain's words anyway. It seemed a little arbitrary after the initial hesitation, but… they were that sort of an odd motley bunch.

"Fine…" Georg stepped forward and readied his blade within his sheath, his trademark Iaijutsu stance. "Let's get this over and done with."

"Great! In that case, I'll…"

The tall, messy-haired man that stood beside the Pirate Queen stepped out before the young girl could and positioned himself largely in her way.

"I'll take this one Captain." declared the pirate's first mate plainly before he settled into a wide stance with what seemed to be a long pole-arm with a heavy blade in the design of a jagged serpent, a glaive.

The swordsman appraised his opponent for a moment before shifting his weight ever so slightly, as though trying to get a better grip of the ship's deck. Without so much as a word or any customary battle cry, the two men charged towards one another, each looking to take the initiative with the first strike. Georg seemed to be the faster of the two as he stepped in just before his opponent and drew his blade for his first Iai strike. However, despite his surprise, the pirates' first mate was able to react and changed the course of his pole-arm to block the strike with its shaft. The two men proceeded to trade slashes and thrusts at close range despite the length of their weapons.

With what scant voice of reason gone though, the young Pirate queen was, quite unfortunately, left to her own devices.

"Grrr… I want some action too!" sulked the female pirate leader with puffed up cheeks indignantly. The scene reminded a certain someone of how his sister pouts however.

_They're both Queens I guess…_ thought Frey amusedly, resulting in an ill-concealed guffaw that came in the guise of a slight cough. This little indiscretion was not missed by the girl though, as she shot him a sharp glare.

"Argh! You laughed! You just laughed, didn't you?"

"No I didn't." lied the somewhat tickled Prince smoothly.

"Alright, that's it. We're dueling." declared an incensed Pirate Queen Rika as she drew her twin blades.

"Oops."

* * *

_Why am I doing this…? _thought a recently promoted Vice-Commander of the Queen's Knights, a bored out of her mind and grumpy one at that.

The long boat ride upriver to Stormfist from Sol Falena had taken out quite a bit of her patience and the current mass sword-kata performance by part of the graduates was a little hard for the spritely lady knight to stomach at the moment. Not that the display was poor or anything, but she would rather be in the thick of the action instead of just spectating.

"Lady Miakis, your face is slipping…"

The said lady tensed up right away and straightened her posture reflexively at the helpful whisper by her ear as she tried to maintain an expression appropriate for a Vice-Commander, earning a very rare light giggle from other lady knight next to her.

"I am sure all of this must be very dreary for you. I feel the same way actually, but Belcoot decided that the graduates deserved a chance to show their hard-earned talents to their leaders."

"Heheh… I'm sorry Hazuki. I'm still not used to being an adult yet. Part of me still wants to get down there and rough up, I mean spar with some of them graduates." admitted Miakis sheepishly.

"Well, we can't have that your Commandership, not after all the trouble we went through to raise them. We've heard one too many stories from Rahal and Roog."

"Ah… good times."

The two lady knights shared a brief smile before a round of applause from the numerous proud parents that graced the event interrupted them.

"Ah… looks like they're done. I guess it's time for your speech Lady Miakis."

"Speech!" realized the Vice-Commander in horror. She had just remembered that she was trying to think of what to say when she got distracted by friendly banter. "You owe me for this Prince!"

* * *

The two ongoing duels on the Gaien ship's deck could not have gone more differently. The match between Georg and the pirate's first mate was an intense and terse affair, with both parties favouring quick, powerful strikes with the full weight of their body behind each attack. Yet, neither of them could land a single clean blow, although just one would be sufficient to decide the match. The one-eyed swordsman's famed Iai strikes were restricted largely by the first mate's skillful maneuvering of his glaive since the reach of the longer weapon made it harder for Georg to press inwards and into his truly effective range. On the other hand, the pirate's first mate was unable to focus on following up since it took all his concentration and skill to suppress his opponent's finishing move. It was a surprisingly resilient stalemate, between offense and defense.

The match between Frey and the Pirate Queen was, however, anything but terse. It was intense of course. It seemed to be one that pitted speed versus guile, with the Pirate Queen's rapid and impossibly quick combinations with her twin cutlasses a constant whirl of light metallic blue and the young man's irregular and unpredictable movements that made it impossible to tell his feints from reality. The difference lied mostly with the former Prince and the reluctant but calculated manner in which he fought. Despite his opponent's apparent speed, the young man was able to avoid most of the attacks through the meticulous handling of his staff, the disparity between their reaches and the intricate management of both his own and his opponent's center of gravity. In short, it boiled down to experience. After all, he had sparred with similar speed-oriented fighters like Richard, Miakis and…

"Chance!"

Frey jerked his head back reflexively but was a half second too late to dodge the incoming blow cleanly, resulting in a faint but seething sensation on his left cheek and a small spray of stray hazel strands. A mysterious feeling suddenly welled up from the pits of his body while his pulse raced despite himself, as though something within his blood was stirring. However, just as he felt his gaze burn and intensify, the moment was lost, becoming yet another of his fleeting instances that did not come to be.

For once, he was grateful that his opponent was just so devastating cute.

* * *

The pirate crewmen went into a frenzy of calls, whistles and largely incomprehensible pirate lingos after their captain unexpectedly drew first blood between the two duels. Part of them felt a sense of pride at seeing their young captain come of age via a trial of blood, but most of them were just an excitable lot who loved fights and brawls of all sorts. Another round of grunts and noisy spectatorship erupted from another thrilling exchange raised the atmosphere up another notch, so much so that some of the pirate crewmen at the back of the crowd were starting to wonder if they should sing their pirate theme song to make their presence felt as well. Or at least that was the plan, until a biting chill ran down their spines, leaving them frozen in trepidation at the unmistakably displeased voice behind them.

"What's all this noise about?"

* * *

Even with the fierce fighting and raucous cheering by crewmen on both sides, Frey still had the presence of mind to pick out a small commotion arising from the back of the pirate crowd, along with a curious head of white hair and stiff eagle-like feathers. Just as he was about to berate himself for losing focus yet again, the owner of the said white hair and feathers made her way to the front through the pirate crewmen who parted fearfully for her amidst a chorus of frightful gasps.

"B-Boss!"

The object of the hardened pirates' fear and dread appeared to be a young woman, no older than Frey himself perhaps. Her snow-like locks were held back in a fiery ponytail, secured by a unique headdress that comprised of numerous white and black-speckled griffin feathers, allowing them to splay out like extensions of her hair. While a form-fitting white tunic with prominent black sleeves and similar griffin-feathers fastened to its longer tail-hem adorned her bodice, it also revealed scandalous portions of her shoulders and the sides of her hips, her tanned, bronzed complexion a stark contrast to the pure white fabric. A comfortable-seeming pair of faded navy trousers clothed her lower half a little more conservatively whereas a pair of ankle-wrap sandals completed the ensemble of the pirates' "Boss". Although it did make Frey wonder where "Boss" figured between "Captain" and "Queen".

It turned out that he would not have the time or mind to wonder anymore as the pirate woman disappeared into a mysterious amber haze right in front of his eyes, causing something within cerulean pupils to widen and awaken.

The pirate woman reappeared in a flash of that unique amber glow once more, phasing straight into Georg's only blind spot when his Iai was executed; his back. The sudden presence behind him startled even the seasoned one-eyed swordsman, although it lasted only mere moments before a hard strike to the back of his spine with the hilt of a long katana paralyzed his body, taking him out of action for now.

No sooner had the blow to the swordsman's lower back landed than the amber haze reappeared, this time allowing the pirate woman to phase into her first mate's blind spot.

"B-Boss! Wait! I-"

His pleas fell upon deaf ears as the pirate woman struck him at the base of his neck with her katana, causing him to collapse into yet another heap on the deck, albeit it was only with the blunt side of her blade. Even with her second victim down, the pirate woman was not quite done yet as she disappeared and reappeared once again, this time sweeping the young Pirate Queen's feet from under her, claiming her third in a flowing string of translocational attacks.

"What the- Sis! Argh!"

Not intent on leaving anyone out, the pirate woman did her disappearing trick again in a bid to subdue the last duelist standing. However, when she phased into what she thought was the young man's blind spot by his left, she found a powerful thrust from his staff awaiting her. Surprised, she tried once more, this time targeting the blind spot at his back, but the moment she phased into place, the young man had changed his grip on the pole to execute a reverse thrust, forcing the pirate woman to parry it with her blade. Wary of the young man's inexplicable ability to predict her attacks now, the pirate woman phased out and in again above her opponent, her bladed edge forward in powerful descending slash.

In response, the young man changed his grip on the pole once more and maneuvered it upwards in order to ward of the downwards strike. The katana made contact with the wooden shaft of the pole for just an instant before severing the makeshift weapon into half. Just as the long, thin blade was about to fall upon the young man, it stopped. In fact, all movement ceased between the two combatants, leaving the on-looking audience puzzled and bewildered.

"Shall we leave this at that?" asked the pirate woman in a low, feminine voice.

It was a while before an answer came.

"For now."

* * *

The two eyed each other cautiously before slowly lowering their weapons. With the cessation of hostilities more or less ascertained, the young man dropped what was left of the pole and went to attend to his companion while the pirate woman signaled her men to retrieve their captain and first mate.

"Sis! What gives?"

The pirate woman looked at her whining sister before giving her a gentle knock to her head with the hilt of her now sheathed-katana.

"I have to be fair."

"I don't mean that! I meant, why did you let him off? You don't even go easy on me!"

"Hmm… Let him off huh... I wonder about that…"

The pirate woman recounted the final exchange she had with that unknown young man, as well as the predicted outcome she arrived at through the use of both her insight and her master's unique technique. In that outcome, her katana would indeed have been able to take her opponent out after cutting his staff in half. However, by the time she completed her slash, the severed ends of the broken pole would have impaled themselves simultaneously into the side of her neck and her sword-hand…

_So that was why he changed his grip and parried with one end slightly higher than the other, he was aiming for it… _

The pirate woman observed the young man carefully from the corner of her eyes, but could no longer find any trace of it, of those murderous angry eyes or of that menacing black aura. The pirate woman heaved a heady sigh of relief.

"Let's just say I was lucky this time."

* * *

Author's notes:

The plot is still rolling along, but I felt like having a bit more action this time. Perhaps I should feel more hard-pressed to reveal the layout of my plot, but I'm thinking "what's 10 chapters in a 60 chapter piece". I am hopeful that the readers will stick around for that to happen though.

I would also like give thanks to those who have reviewed the story recently. The fact that I was able to churn this out in the midst of my ridiculous schedule and dreary life was because of them. My thanks.


End file.
